Gong and Lyu throw down gauntlet to rivals

2019 promises to be a big year for China's track-and-field throwing stars Gong Lijiao and Lyu Huihui.

After a largely successful past 12 months for the pair, this summer's world championships loom large on the horizon and look set to go a long way to determining their legacies.

Having bagged gold at the 2017 worlds in London, shot putter Gong maintained her momentum through the 2018 season, with Diamond League victories in Shanghai and Monaco being followed by Asian Games gold in Jakarta in August and a victory at the IAAF Continental Cup in the Czech Republic in September.