Star hurdler sets new personal best, qualifies for Olympics

Star hurdler Wu Yanni finished her FISU Games campaign with a sensational 12.76 seconds in the women's 100 meters hurdles, winning a silver medal for China. 

At the Shuangliu Sports Centre Stadium in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, Wu, a Sichuan-born athlete who is now studying at Beijing Sports University, became the top star of the night. 

"I have broken my personal best twice today. I think the main reason lies not in me but the overwhelming support I have received," Wu told the Global Times. 

"Competing at home makes me more relaxed and gives me more impetus rather than pressure."

Wu was born in Zigong, a southern Sichuan city, and started her hurdling career in neighboring city Neijiang.

Wu had renewed a short-lived personal best of 12.86 seconds in the semifinals, 0.01 seconds better than her previous set in 2021, before shaving off another 0.1 seconds in the final.

The result is enough for her to qualify for the Paris Olympics, as the result surpassed the 12.77-second entry requirement. 

"It is my love of the hurdles that allows me to go through all the difficulties," Wu said. 

"I also hope my enthusiasm for the sport can inspire more young people to feel the glamour of Chinese athletics and get out of their own comfort zone."

Wu's teammate Lin Yuwei of East China Normal University finished in fifth place in the final with 13.03 seconds. 

Wu's result of 12.76 seconds in the final has also surpassed the qualifying benchmark for the world athletics championships which will be held from August 19 to 27 in Budapest, Hungary, but the result came too late for the worlds. 

"I always believe that we Chinese female hurdlers are the best," Wu said after the race. 

"I don't mean to say I will win a medal for China at the Asian Games, but I will do my best and progress little by little."

The Asian Games will be held in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province from September 23 to October 8. 

Taking after China's athletics great Liu Xiang, who won an Olympics 110 meters hurdles gold medal in 2004 in Athens, Wu has set her sights on becoming a female hurdling star.

"I want to become the woman that makes people know about women's 100 meters hurdles," Wu told reporters. "I want Chinese female hurdlers to appear on the international stage more often. It doesn't matter whether it's me or any other female athletes to do so."

Wu points to the sky every time she hits the track, prompting many netizens online to copy her gesture.

"The gesture is cool and fits me well I think. It means I have set my goals for the Paris Olympics," Wu told reporters. 

Wu also spoke about the recent evacuation and rescue efforts in northern China, which has been hit by torrential rains and floods.

"My achievement belongs to every Chinese," Wu told reporters. "I hope people impacted by the floods will come back safe as well as everyone who made efforts to alleviate the disaster."

Viktoria Forster of Slovakia won the gold medal with a personal best of 12.72 seconds. The bronze medal went to Jyothi Yarraji of India who finished in 12.78 seconds. 

Yarraji thanked China for allowing her to qualify for the Paris Olympics. 

"Thank you so much, China. It was a wonderful competition that makes me able to qualify for the Olympics," Yarraji told reporters, before noting she will come back to China for the Asian Games in September. 

Other achievements of the night came from Sarah Keskitalo, representing Finland but was born in China, setting a personal best of 13.17 seconds in the semifinal.