Chen overcomes his own hurdles to win 110m gold

Upon crossing the finish line, Chen Yuanjiang threw his head back, pumped his fists and shouted toward the camera: "Who is first? China!"

Rain was still falling in Nagoya, but the 20-year-old Chinese hurdler could no longer contain his emotions.

The scoreboard showed 13.15 seconds.

Chen won the men's 110m hurdles title at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Sunday, ending China's eight-year wait to reclaim its crown, after China lost the title at the Hangzhou Asian Games.

Alongside Xu Zhuoyi and Liu Junxi, Chen represents a new generation of Chinese hurdlers seeking to carry forward a legacy that includes Asian Games champions Liu Xiang and Xie Wenjun.

China had won the event at nine consecutive Asian Games from 1986 to 2018, with Liu Xiang winning three straight titles and Xie adding two more — a run which ended in Hangzhou.

Chen, however, brought the crown back home.

"I had waited for this moment for so long," Chen said after the race. "Those shouts were a release of all the pressure, frustration and unwillingness to accept defeat."

Rain had fallen throughout the competition, leaving the track wet and making conditions difficult. It was Chen's first major international multi-sport event, and the pressure showed.

At the call room, his hands were shaking as he put on his bib number. While having a drink, he told Liu Junxi, "I'm so nervous. I haven't been this nervous for a long time."

Starting in lane seven, Chen trailed Japanese Rachid Muratake over the early hurdles, but stayed focused on his own rhythm. After the fifth hurdle, he moved ahead as Muratake began clipping barriers.

Chen cleared the final hurdle cleanly and started celebrating before the official time appeared on the scoreboard.

"The moment the race started, I just focused on my own lane," Chen said. "I think I handled it best today."

The victory was also a long-awaited response to a difficult period. At last year's world championships, Chen failed to reach the final. At the 15th National Games last November, he finished sixth after making a mistake.

Those setbacks, however, did not change his belief in himself. At one point, he wrote on social media: "Those things that don't kill me will only make me stronger."

Born in 2006 in Jining, Shandong province, Chen moved with his parents to Ningbo, Zhejiang province, as a child. He began training in long jump and hurdles in 2017 before eventually specializing in the hurdles.

His progress has been reflected in his times.

Last year, he clocked 13.18 seconds to qualify for the world championships. This season, he ran 13.14 in June and improved to 13.13 in August before winning the Asian Games title in 13.15.

"I think running under 13.10 is still possible," he said. "But the real goal is to break 13 seconds. I'll do everything I can to achieve it."

The Asian Games title has now placed him among the continent's leading hurdlers this season.

"This gold medal doesn't belong only to me," Chen said. "Xu, Liu (Junxi) and I are at roughly the same level.

"The torch has naturally been passed to our generation and we hope to take Chinese hurdling higher and further."

Chen, however, sees his achievement as part of a longer tradition.

"Hurdles are a traditional strength in Shanghai, and in Chinese athletics," he said. "Liu Xiang and Xie Wenjun laid the foundation for us. I'm very grateful to the team and the coaching staff for all their support."

Before Chen left for Nagoya, Xie offered him a simple piece of advice: "Focus on yourself and run relaxed."

At the previous National Games, Xie competed at the same meet as Chen and helped guide the younger hurdler, an experience Chen later described as part of the passing of the baton between generations.

His coach had also given him a necklace bearing the Olympic rings. Chen said he plans to take it with him to bigger stages.

The victory came a day after Chen's elder brother got married in Shandong, an occasion he had missed because of the Asian Games. Chen said his brother had also trained in sports, before choosing to focus on academics and eventually becoming a university teacher.

"My brother got married yesterday, and I won an Asian Games gold medal today," Chen said with a smile. "For my parents, it's really double happiness."

He said that his first priority after the race was to call his family and share the news. "My family has always been very loving and supportive," he said.

"I wish my brother and sister-in-law a happy marriage."