China hurdler beauty Wu Yanni keeps head high after failing to make past heat at world championship

Wu made her world championship debut in the women's 100 m hurdles heats on Sunday, drawn into a difficult group alongside reigning Olympic champion Masai Russell. She finished fifth in her heat with a time of 13.12 seconds, narrowly missing out on the semifinals.

She struggled at the start, falling behind in the opening phase before regaining ground in the latter half of the race.

"My ideal goal today was 12.80 seconds, but my start was slower because of the impact of the neighboring lane," Wu told the media after the race. "This is something I'll continue to work on in the competitions ahead."

Wu Yanni during competition at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, on Sept. 14, 2025. Photo by Instagram/@wuyanni_jennie

Nonetheless, this marks a return for Chinese female hurdlers to the event after a decade. She later reflected on social media, describing her world championship debut as a new chapter in her career.

"There is regret, but I feel like my sporting journey has turned a new page," she wrote. "In the past 18 months, Chinese women's hurdles have not missed a single major international event. I will face the coming challenges with calm and courage."

Veteran road running commentator Wang Chao said that Wu's time was consistent with her form this year.

"Around 13 seconds is her normal range this season. The gap of about half a second between her and the world's top sprinters partly comes down to physical condition and talent," he told Global Times.

In other track events, Chinese sprinter Xie Zhenye ran 10.21 seconds in the men' 100 m heats on Saturday but failed to reach the semifinals.

In field events, Feng Bin competed in the women's discus throw final, finishing seventh with a throw of 65.28 m.

In the men's hammer throw, Zhao Jie surpassed the 74 m qualifying mark on his first attempt with a throw of 74.24 m, securing a spot in the finals. Rising star Zhang Jiale, the 18-year-old world junior record holder, also advanced with a third-round throw of 72.02 m.

The World Athletics Championships run in Tokyo from Sept. 13 to 21. China sent 73 athletes, including 41 men and 32 women, competing in 33 of 49 events. Women's throwing disciplines, race walking, men's jumping events and relay races are expected to be China's biggest chances to win gold.