TOKYO, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's athletics team put the finishing touches on its preparations Friday as the World Athletics Championships get underway in Tokyo on Saturday, with race walking once again expected to be among the delegation's strongest medal prospects.
The men's and women's 35-kilometer race walks will open the competition early Saturday morning. With humid weather lingering in the Japanese capital, organizers have moved the start time forward by 30 minutes to 7:30 a.m. to reduce heat risks. Chinese athletes trained on the course Friday and said they were ready for the conditions.
"Before coming to Tokyo we trained in Yuanjiang, Yunnan, where the climate is very similar," said Ma Li, 25, who will make her world championships debut in both the 35km and 20km women's events. "That preparation has helped us adapt quickly here."
Ma and her teammate Peng Li, 23, represent a younger generation of walkers stepping onto the global stage. "It's my first world championships, so of course I'm nervous but also excited," Peng said. "The 35km is tough, but I've raced top international opponents before, so I don't feel too much pressure."
Race walking has long been China's most reliable medal source in athletics, producing seven of the delegation's 12 Olympic golds. At the Paris Olympics last year, Yang Jiayu captured China's only athletics gold in the women's 20km. Yang is the only member of the previous generation of champions competing in Tokyo, while four of China's six race walking entrants were born after 2000.
Veteran Yin Hang, 28, will return to the world stage in the women's 35km, eight years after winning silver in the now-discontinued 50km event at the London World Championships. "The transition from 50km to 35km has been a big challenge," Yin said. "The pace and technique are different, but I've adapted. Coming back here feels like recognition and boosts my confidence."
Beyond race walking, China also will field a team in the mixed 4x400m relays on the opening day of the world championships. After qualifying for the event at the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou earlier this year, the relay team's performances went viral on Chinese social media.
"Our first goal is simply to finish safely," said 21-year-old Liang Baotang of the mixed squad. "But we also dream of making the top eight. We want to carry over the momentum from Guangzhou and not let down the flag on our chest."
Sprinter Liang Xiaojing, competing in the women's 100m, will return to Japan National Stadium for the first time since the 2021 Olympics. "The hot, humid weather here is similar to my hometown in Guangdong, which is actually good for sprinting," she said. "I just hope the rain stays away during my race."
China has sent 73 athletes - 41 men and 32 women - to Tokyo, entering 33 events. Women's throws, race walks, men's jumps and the relays are expected to be the delegation's main medal opportunities. ■
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