by Pan Yi and Zhang Bihong 　

　　BUSAN, Oct. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- Gu Yuan, Chinese world-class female hammer thrower, stepped on the top of the awarding podium at the Busan Asiad on Saturday afternoon with smile but not that much as she failed to break her own Asian record of 71.10 meters.

　　Gu, 20, threw the hammer to 70.49 meters in her 4th attempt to clinch the title, followed by her compatriot Liu Yinghui with the mark of 66.73 meters. Masumi Aya from Japan, who was in a sense the most possible challenger to the Chinese, finished third with 62.18 meters.

　　"There is a minor injury on my left leg, which affected my performance," Gu said in regret.

　　Gu hurled the hammer 71.10 meters in the Asian athletics championships in Sri Lanka in August, shattering the previous Asian mark of 68.06 meters set by Liu Yinghui in a national meet in Shanghai earlier this year, and became the first Asian woman toconquer the 70-meter line.

　　Gu also won the title at the Madrid Athletic World Cup in September, which was the first and the last gold medal snatched byAsian participants.

　　At the age of 12, Gu started her training in the track and field. After practising for shot put and javelin for two years, Gu transfered to hammer throw in 1996. She began to shine after another two years as her first national title came in April 1998 in the Shanghai leg of the national athletics grand prix. At thattime, her mark was 56.36 meters.

　　Also in April 1998, Gu cleared the 60-meter line in the Chengduleg of the national athletics grand prix to snatch the gold with 60.14 meters.

　　After one month, Gu broke the national record with the mark of 60.88 meters in the Jinan leg of the national athletics grand prix.

　　Gu's first international title emerged from Japan in July 1998 when she heaved the hammer to 61.86 meters, shattering the Asian record of 61.20 meters.

　　In September 1998, Gu rewrote her Asian record as 62.28 meters in the national athletics championships. In May 2000, Gu raised the Asian record to 63.92 meters. In November 2001, Gu set the Asian record at 66.97 meters.

　　Although her compatriot Liu Yinghui reclaimed the Aisan record as 68.06 meters earlier this year, Gu made another record of 71.10meters in Sri Lanka.

　　"Gu is a talent as it is possible for her to break records in every hurl," Ou Xiyuan, Gu's coach said.

　　Before going to Sri Lanka for the Asian athletics championships,all the Chinese athletes in the throwing events had been to Qingzhen sports center in Gui Zhou Province of China, which is a high-land training site in China.

　　"It was the first time for the athletes in throwing events to receive training in such a high place, which was a test in research of training," Ou said.

　　"Gu is obviously a successful sample for the test as she raisedher own best result by several meters in Sri Lanka," he added.

　　"Gu has no opponents in Asia. Her main rival here is herself." Ou noted. Enditem