The baton has been passed to the next generation as China's men's 4×100-meter relay team secures their spot for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris. The team, consisting of Xie Zhenye, Wu Zhiqiang, Chen Jiapeng, and Yan Haibing, achieved qualification at the World Athletics Relays in Nassau, The Bahamas, in May.
Just seven months earlier, this dynamic quartet clinched the gold medal at the 19th Asian Games held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. In October 2023, Chen Jiapeng, the team's youngest member at 21, delivered a standout performance by surpassing his Japanese rival in the final leg, helping China finish the race in an impressive 38.29 seconds.
Chen's role as the fourth runner was a strategic decision made half a month before the Asian Games. Despite his youth, Chen demonstrated exceptional sprinting prowess, highlighted by his 10.08-second finish in a men's 100-meter race in the United States, marking him as the fifth Chinese athlete to break the 10.1-second barrier.
\"When I got the baton, I was about one step behind the Japanese sprinter,\" Chen Jiapeng told China Media Group (CMG). \"I believe I could do it, and I did it. The power of the team is great. They put me in the decisive race. I did my best and responded to the expectations on me.\"
The tradition of entrusting young runners with critical roles has been a cornerstone of the Chinese relay team's strategy. At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Wu Zhiqiang, one of the youngest members then, played a pivotal role in securing China's first Olympic medal in the sport.
\"You can tell by Chen Jiapeng's performance at the Asian Games in Hangzhou that he has a remarkable sprinting ability as the fourth runner,\" Wu shared with CMG. \"So, in our current squad, he can give us a bigger advantage than we had at the Tokyo Olympics.\"
With Su Bingtian unable to participate in Paris due to extended breaks from systematic training, the emergence of young talents like Chen Jiapeng provides the team with renewed confidence and hope for future successes.
\"My big brothers were in the top three last time,\" Chen Jiapeng said. \"I want to get close to them, not necessarily to surpass them, but to match them.\"
Reference(s):
Baton passed to young generation with Chinese men's relay team
cgtn.com
