Wu Yanni Photo: VCG

The 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo entered its second day on Sunday, with several Chinese athletes taking to the track and field in highly anticipated events, including the women's 100-meter hurdles and women's discus throw.

Chinese hurdler Wu Yanni made her world championship debut in the women's 100-meter hurdles heats. Drawn in what was dubbed a "group of death" alongside the reigning Olympic champion Masai Russell, Wu clocked 13.12 seconds, finishing fifth in her heat and narrowly missing out on the semifinals.

After the starting gun shot, Wu 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 reporters after the race. "This is something I'll continue to work on in the competitions ahead."

Notably, this is Wu's debut at the World Championships and marks a Chinese female hurdler's return to the event after a decade. She later shared her reflections on social media, describing her world championship debut as a new chapter in her athletic career. 

"There is regret, but I feel like my sporting journey has turned a new page," she wrote before adding, "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."

"Wu's lack of international experience showed at the start. She was clearly affected by the movements of athletes in neighboring lanes, which is very common. Her coaching team has been aware of this issue and has been working on improving her start and early phases," Beijing-based sports commentator Wang Dazhao told the Global Times.

Veteran road running commentator and analyst Wang Chao added 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 the Global Times.

In the morning marathon, China's Ciren Cuomu clocked 2:31:38 to finish 14th, marking a significant improvement from her world championship debut in Doha six years ago when she failed to break three hours. Teammates Li Zhixuan (2:34:03) and Zhang Deshun (2:35:58) placed 22nd and 30th respectively. All three Chinese runners finished under three hours.

"I wasn't sure how much I could run because my preparation time was short. But, once I was on the course, I just gave it my all," Ciren said after the race. 

"It felt different competing again six years later, with more experience to draw on."

With more and more marathon runners shining on the international stage, Wang emphasized the broader rise of marathon running in China. 

"In recent years, with marathons booming across the country, both amateur and professional runners have made huge strides. The sport now truly benefits from the interaction between mass participation and elite competition," he said.

Elsewhere on the track, Chinese sprinter Xie Zhenye ran 10.21 seconds in the men's 100-meter heats on Saturday, but failed to progress to the semifinals. 

"I didn't perform at my best," Xie said, adding that he hopes to adjust quickly and prepare for the men's 4x100-meter relay later this week. The relay heats are scheduled for Saturday evening.

In field events, Feng Bin contested the women's discus throw final, finished 7th, throwing 65.28 meters. "Feng has the strength to compete for the podium if they perform to their potential, and she has the ability to throw over 67 meters, but discus is very much dependent on an athlete's condition. You could see today that Valarie Allman returned to her previously terrifying form after a long time," Wang said.

In the men's hammer throw, Zhao Jie surpassed the 74-meter qualifying mark on his first attempt with a throw of 74.24 meters, securing a place 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 meters.

The World Athletics Championships are taking place in Tokyo until September 21. Team China has sent 73 athletes, including 41 men and 32 women, and will compete in 33 of the 49 events. Women's throwing ­disciplines, race walking, men's jumping, and relay races are expected to be the country's strongest medal prospects.