Perhaps the IAAF Council will decide tomorrow to propose to the IOC the 30km instead of 50km, but today is a historic day that gives a sense of sport: citius, altius, fortius.
The best answer the athletes can give.
On the other hand we had concluded our news of Jan. 28, 2019 ( click here ) with a little dream:
"What if we wake up one day at the beginning of March, when Chinese will race in Huangshan, with a new world record for women on 50km?
Maybe it will be our only dream, but why not dream because it costs nothing?
Who writes would also like to dream that the 50km remained in 2024 and over an Olympic specialty.
Who knows?"
At her first 50km Liu Hong (CHN) makes the history of the women's world race walk.
After the maternity return to the races this morning in Huangshan (CHN) the holder of the world record of 20km (1:24:38) walk women has succeeded in the enterprise to make its own the world record of 50km.
Liu Hong did so with a historic performance marking the new world record on the distance with the time of 3:59:15 first woman in the world cracking 4-hour barrier.
Second place to Li Maocuo (CHN) in 4:03:51 also dipped under the previous world record of Liang Rui of 4:04:36 after slashing more than 11 minutes from her previous best of 4:13:04 set in Chifeng last year.
Third place to Ma Faying (CHN) in 4:07:30
The previous holder of the previous world record Rui Liang (CHN) has only arrived seventh (4:19:34) who during the 50km had the unpleasant surprise of the usual women's cycle. She was preceded by Wang Yingliu (CHN) in 4:15:33.
There were seventeen athletes at the start.
Fourteen completed the 50km while 2 DNF and 1 DQ.
Short report of the race
Before the race, everyone thought that probably would break last year's world record.
However, there is great suspense as to who will finish first, because at present several Chinese 50km women athletes are improving rapidly.
At the beginning of the competition, Liang Rui was very active in leading the group. She vas setting a pace faster than last year's world record. By 10km, the first group was already 25 seconds faster than the world record.
At this time, Liu Hong and Li Maocuo were hiding in a mixed group of men and women, holding a steady pace.
Ten kilometers later, Liang Rui withdrew from the lead and began to choose to follow. Liu Hong once fell behind for more than ten seconds at 17km because she went to the toilet on the way, but she didn't rush to catch up.
The split time to 20km is one minute faster than the world record. At this time Liang Rui's condition did not look good enough.
Less than 25 kilometers, Liang Rui has gradually separated from the first group. Liu Hong, Wang Yingliu and Li Maocuo became the first group together.
When the race was approaching 40km, Li Maocuo took the initiative to attack, trying to get the lead. Liu Hong was also in good condition at this time; she catch Li Maocuo and further overtaking not far away. Meanwhile Wang Yingliu had almost run out of gas, and she walked more and more slowly.
In last 10km, Liu Hong continued to force her pace and was the first to the finish line. Li Maocuo arrived second.
Liu Hong's competition split times (unofficial data):
Km.50 = 3:59:15 (average 4:49) divided per session of 5km
1.- 24:33 ( 4:55 )
2.- 24:07 ( 4:49 )
3.- 24:20 ( 4:52 )
4.- 24:11 ( 4:50 )
5.- 24:06 ( 4:49 )
6.- 23:44 ( 4:45 )
7.- 23:55 ( 4:47 )
8.- 23:40 ( 4:44 )
9.- 23:08 ( 4:38 )
10.- 23:25 ( 4:41 )
She closed with a 9:06 final lap, the fastest of the race !
Today this was her day, but without wanting to exaggerate, we really believe that the 31 year old Chinese, who now wants to return to Italy to Saluzzo for training, has, at least on paper, the potential this year of a time on 50km around at 3:55:00.
In the following photo split times lap per lap of Liu Hong and Li Maocuo
Below ths updated season 2019 list of 50km women (first 5 athletes)
| | MARK | COMPETITOR | DOB | NAT | VENUE | DATE |
| | | | | | | |
| 1 | 3:59:15 | Hong LIU | 12 MAY 1987 |  CHN | Huangshan (CHN) | 09 MAR 2019 |
| 2 | 4:03:51 | Maocuo LI | 20 OCT 1992 | CHN | Huangshan (CHN) | 09 MAR 2019 |
| 3 | 4:07:30 | Faying MA | 30 AUG 1993 | CHN | Huangshan (CHN) | 09 MAR 2019 |
| 4 | 4:11:01 | Raquel GONZALEZ | 16 NOV 1989 |  ESP | El Vendrell (ESP) | 10 FEB 2019 |
| 5 | 4:12:44 | Claire TALLENT | 06 JUL 1981 |  AUS | Santee, CA (USA) | 26 JAN 2019 |