The poor performance of some invited athletes during the 2023 Sands China Macao International 10K can be justified by the “different spirit” with which some athletes faced this competition and also because some might not be accustomed to ramps, the president of ID, Pun Weng Kun, said when questioned by the Times on the topic on the sidelines of the presentation of the WTT Champions Macao 2023, yesterday afternoon.
“In the 10K run, several athletes were coming from different locations and some of them have a different spirit [disposition]; some want to appreciate the landscape. Still, we had a good competition and this already means for us that the event was successful,” said Pun.
“Athletes’ preparation [might also diverge] with some being used to run[ning] on slopes: these might have had a better performance, while others that are used to run[ning] on flat surfaces might have experienced some difficulties,” Pun added, in reply to the question from the Times.
The president of ID also said the bureau recommends all athletes go through proper training before taking on challenges like the 10K run, to ensure they are well prepared.
As the Times reported yesterday, the performance of some athletes invited by the organizers to take part in Sunday’s event was considered by many as below standard, with several examples found in the final classification table. One of these was Zhong Ping Zhi from the men’s group who finished in 51st position with a time of 38 minutes and 13 seconds, taking almost 10 minutes more to complete the distance than the winner Edwin Cheruiyot Soi from Kenya, but also far behind many local amateur athletes. The best local runner was placed in the 19th position with a time of 34 minutes.
In the female group, Zheng Yu Lian crossed the line in the 131st position with a time of 57 minutes and 41 seconds, that is, over 23 minutes longer than the winner Winrose Chepkorir, who crossed the line first with a time of 34 minutes, 22 seconds but also far behind the best local runner, Hoi Long, who finished in 38 minutes and 22 seconds.
These were not isolated cases and it was possible to observe poor performances of several other invited athletes in both male and female groups.
The invitation of athletes to run in events like the 10K or the marathon, as the president of ID also noted during the sidelines of the press conference that launched the event on March 16, aims to “highlight the event” creating a group of athletes who will reliably provide a better performance and elevate the event’s status. This technique is used worldwide and it represents an investment from the organizers to enhance the reputation of the event. It usually involves professional athletes of good credentials who can, among others, break the track time records, as did both Kenyan winners Soi and Chepkorir.
