Sun Yawei

Sun Yawei
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  China
Asian Games
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Guangzhou 100 m hurdles
Asian Championships
Gold medal – first place 2009 Guangzhou 100 m hurdles
Gold medal – first place 2011 Kobe 100 m hurdles

Sun Yawei (Chinese: 孙雅薇; born 17 October 1987, Changzhou[1]) is a female Chinese track and field athlete who competes in the 100 meter hurdles. She is a two-time gold medallist in the event at the Asian Athletics Championships and won the bronze at the Asian Games in 2010. In China, she is referred to as the "female Liu Xiang", in respect of her more successful hurdling compatriot.[2] Her personal best time is 12.94 seconds, set in July 2011.

Born in Nanjing in Jiangsu Province, she took part in athletics at high school level and began competing at national level in 2007. After winning the 2007 Chinese junior title in the 100 m hurdles, she came third at the World Trials event, improved to second at the Chinese Athletics Championships, then topped the podium at the end of the year at the Chinese City Games.[3] The following year she was third at the Olympic Trials and was again runner-up in the hurdles at the Chinese Championships.[4] She closed 2008 with a personal best run of 13.39 seconds in Zhaoqing.[5]

Sun made improvements in the 2009 season, which began with her winning her first national title with a best of 13.15 seconds. She ran faster (13.12) in the heats at the 11th Chinese National Games,[6] but was not as quick in the final – the more experienced Liu Jing edged Sun into second place.[7] In spite of her defeat in the national competition, she went unbeaten at regional level, winning gold medals at the 2009 Asian Athletics Championships and the East Asian Games.[8][9]

She ran in Europe for the first time in 2010, setting a 60 metres hurdles best time of 8.24 seconds at the BW-Bank Meeting in Germany. After two wins on the Chinese Athletics Grand Prix circuit, she won China's university title for Nanjing Agricultural University, where she was studying veterinary science.[10] She repeated as the national champion and represented her country in the Décanation event in France, coming fourth.[4] She was among the favorites for the hurdles at the 2010 Asian Games, but it was Korean Lee Yeon-Kyung who went away with the gold, while Sun had to settle for the bronze medal.[11] She began her 2011 outdoor season in good form, winning an Asian Grand Prix meet in 13.18 seconds, and rose to the occasion at the 2011 Asian Athletics Championships in July, where she retained her title in a personal best of 13.04 seconds.[12][13] Later that month she ran under thirteen seconds for the first time, taking advantage of a 1.7 m/s wind to clock a time of 12.94 seconds in Nanching.[14]

  1. ^ "Sun Yawei Bio, Stats, and Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 2020-04-18. Retrieved 2017-05-06.
  2. ^ 女子100米栏决赛 “女刘翔”孙雅薇得铜牌 (in Chinese). Ycwb (2010-11-25). Retrieved on 2011-07-25.
  3. ^ Jalava, Mirko (2007-10-31). Favourites beaten in China - City Games, Day Two. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-07-25.
  4. ^ a b Sun Yawei. Tilastopaja. Retrieved on 2011-07-25.
  5. ^ Jalava, Mirko (2008-11-11). Chinese athletics season comes to a close; juniors again in spotlight. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-07-25.
  6. ^ Jalava, Mirko (2009-10-22). Gong Lijiao puts 20.35m to highlight the first day of Chinese National Games. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-07-25.
  7. ^ Jalava, Mirko (2009-10-23). World leading 66.40m Discus heave by Li Yanfeng in Jinan – Chinese National Games, Day 2. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-07-25.
  8. ^ Six more gold for China in Guangzhou - Asian champs, day 2. IAAF (2009-11-12). Retrieved on 2011-07-25.
  9. ^ Krishnan, Ram. Murali (2009-12-11). Liu Xiang and Chinese throwers dominate - East Asian Games, Day 2. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-07-25.
  10. ^ 孙雅薇：一半是“兽医” 一半是“栏后”（南京农业大学） (in Chinese). People (2010-05-20). Retrieved on 2011-07-25.
  11. ^ Ogunode and Fukushima complete doubles in Guangzhou - Asian Games, Day 5. IAAF (2010-11-26). Retrieved on 2011-07-25.
  12. ^ Asian Grand Prix kicks off in Jiaxing. IAAF (2011-05-22). Retrieved on 2011-07-25.
  13. ^ Liu Xiang clocks 13.22 championships in Kobe - Asian champs, final day. IAAF (2011-07-11). Retrieved on 2011-07-25.
  14. ^ High Jump: Ukhov over Baba, by Alfons Juck, note by Larry Eder. RunBlogRun (2011-07-18). Retrieved on 2011-07-25.