Wang Zhen leading Denis Strelkov at the 2013 World Championships
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Personal information | |
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Born |
Heilongjiang, China |
24 August 1991
Height | 177 cm (5 ft 10 in) |
Weight | 63 kg (139 lb) |
Sport | |
Country | China |
Sport | Athletics |
Event(s) | 20km Race Walk |
Coached by | Sandro Damilano |
Medal record
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Wang Zhen (Chinese: 王镇; born 24 August 1991) is a Chinese race walker who specialises in the 10 kilometres and 20 kilometres race walk. He holds the senior Asian record for the 20 km with his time of 1:17:36 hours and is also the Asian, Chinese and junior world record holder over 10 km. He was the bronze medallist over 20 km at the 2012 London Olympics and the gold medallist at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Born in Suihua, Wang began competing at the top level of the sport in 2008 and won the junior 30 km walk at the Chinese national race walking championships, finishing in 2:08:46. He competed in his first 50 kilometres race walk the year after at the 2009 Chinese National Games. The sixteen-year-old Wang managed sixth place in 3:53:00.
He took to the major international circuit the next year – the 2010 IAAF World Race Walking Challenge. At the Gran Premio Città di Lugano Memorial Albisetti he finished in sixth place, and then he walked to a personal best of 1:20:42 in the 20 km race at the Grande Premio Internacional en Marcha Atletica in Rio Maior, Portugal – a time worth third place at the meeting. He was seventh at the Coppa Città di Sesto San Giovanni in May, and managed 21st place over 20 km at the 2010 IAAF World Race Walking Cup (his first international championship). Having gained enough points on the circuit, he was entered into 10 km 2010 IAAF Race Walking Challenge Final and the race proved to be one of the quickest of all-time, with four men walking 38 minutes and under. Wang Hao was the home favourite for the race in Beijing, but it was Wang Zhen who topped the podium. He finished the race in 37:44 minutes (the joint second fastest mark of all-time with Erik Tysse) which was a new Asian record, as well as being the world junior record for the distance.