Taiwan's Chu wins women's javelin gold at Asian U23 athletics meet

Taipei, July 11 (CNA) Taiwanese athlete Chu Pin-hsun (朱品薰) won gold in the women's javelin at the 2026 Asian U23 Athletics Championships in China on Friday, setting a personal best with a throw of 57.31 meters.

The 21-year-old Chu, regarded as one of Taiwan's most promising female javelin throwers, led the field after four attempts before passing on her fifth and unleashing a personal-best throw of 57.31 meters on her sixth and final attempt.

China's Zhang Xidan (張曦丹) and Japan's Aoi Murakami took the silver and bronze medals, respectively, with best throws of 54.59 meters and 54.40 meters.

In a show of her dominance in the event, all five of Chu's throws, ranging from 54.62 meters to 57.31 meters, were better than the best throws of her six competitors.

Her winning distance, however, fell just short of Taiwan's national women's javelin record of 57.66 meters, set by Li Hui-jun (李慧君) in March 2026.

Speaking to CNA, Chu's coach Hsueh Sheng-jung (薛聖融) praised her dedication to training, which has focused on improving her physical conditioning.

In March, Chu secured qualification for the 2026 Asian Games, to be held in Nagoya, Japan in September, after recording a 57.24-meter throw at a youth athletics competition in New Taipei, surpassing the qualifying standard of 56.80 meters.

In comparison, the entry standard for the women's javelin at the 2024 Olympics was 64.00 meters.

The Nagoya event will mark her second appearance at the Asian Games.

Hsueh said Chu's main area for improvement is her explosive power, which is crucial for transferring strength through the throwing motion. He said training will focus on refining her technique while improving her muscular endurance and strength.

He added that the women's javelin team is set to train in Kagoshima, Japan, from Aug. 17, and compete in another event in early September as a final tune-up before the major Nagoya tournament.

The Asian U23 Athletics Championships are being held in Ordos City from July 9 to 12.