New Taipei Athletics Open: Lin Chung-wei Wins Men's 400m Hurdles Gold, Record Attempt Derailed by Weather

(CNA, Taipei, 7th) The New Taipei City International Track and Field Open was delayed by two hours today due to a thunderstorm. Taiwan's new-generation men's 400m hurdles talent, Lin Chung-wei, clinched gold in the timed final with 49.35 seconds, but his pre-race preparation rhythm was affected, preventing him from breaking the national record.

Lin, 22, had previously run a personal best and the third-fastest time in national history, 48.77 seconds, at the Kinami Michitaka Memorial Athletics Meet in Osaka, Japan, in May. This performance had fueled his hopes of challenging the national record of 48.62 seconds held by Peng Ming-yang in this competition.

However, things did not go as planned. A major thunderstorm began half an hour before the scheduled start time, forcing the competition to be postponed for two hours. Athletes were consequently limited to simple warm-ups near the check-in area to prevent their bodies from cooling down.

Lin said with a relieved smile, "The wait was too long, my body and rhythm were off. Plus, the track was a bit slippery, so I just thought about running a stable race. I decided not to push for the national record to avoid injury."

Lin mentioned that he plans to follow the Athletics Association's plan to go to China for training. He expects to participate in a competition in late August or early September to regain his race feeling, which will be beneficial for preparing for the Nagoya Asian Games.

As for the national record holder, Peng Ming-yang, today was his fifth race after surgery. He ran 49.83 seconds, breaking the 50-second barrier for the first time since his return, but he was just shy of the Nagoya Asian Games qualifying standard of 49.50 seconds.

Peng expressed his frustration, stating, "I accidentally injured my lower back during weight training two weeks ago and was laid up for three full days. My body still felt a bit uncomfortable today. Although I haven't met the standard yet, achieving this result in five races is within my expectations. I hope to secure my ticket to the Asian Games at next week's Hong Kong Athletics Championships." (Editor: Chen Jen-hua) 1150607