The group of Chinese athletes who train in Italy under the guidance of Sandro Damilano held a coaching period in Livigno (1,850 Mt.) from 18 June to 14 July (23 days).
As usual, at the end of his period the athletes performed a training test at race speed. A custom that is repeated every year both in the January winter meeting in San Lorenzo al Mare and in the summer one in Livigno.
These are the marks registered in today's training test:
20 km.
Qieyang Shenjie: 1:28:58 (4:27) - last 5km. = 21:27 (4.16)
Ma Zhenxia: 1:29:08 (4:27.5) - last 5km. = 21:37 (4.20). Just yesterday she celebrated her 21st birthday in altitude. Happy birthday though late !
Lu Xiuzhi: 1:29:38 (4:29) = last 5km. = 22:05 (4.25)
Cai Zelin: 1: 22.07 (4:06) - last 5km. = 19:59 (4.00)
35 km.
Wang Rui: 2:47:19 (4:47) - to 30 km. (Lact. 1.1) - last 5 km. = 21:23 (4.16) - Lact. 3.3
40 km.
Wang Qin: 3.12.26 (4: 48.5) - to 37 km. (Lact. 1.5) - last 3 km. = 12:57 (4.20) - Lact. 2.2
As a term of comparison for those who know the high altitude of Livigno we point out that in the different years in these training-tests in Livigno the best times were obtained by Liu Hong (2015) in 1:28:54 and by Wang Zhen (2016) in 1:21:31 (both Olympic Champions at Rio 2016)
We remember that another athlete of the group: Zhang Jun, yesterday participated in the University Games in Naples, finishing 6th with a mark of 1:24:00
The group will come down tomorrow to Saluzzo where they will continue the training until 22 August for the athletes not selected for the World Championships.
These will have as main objective the National Championship scheduled in Leshan (Sichuan province - central China) on September 7th.
The three athletes selected for the World Championships (Qieyang Shenjie - Cai Zelin - Wang Qin) will remain in training in Saluzzo until 20 September.
A test race is scheduled for these athletes on 1.9.2019 in Chiasso on 20 km.