View source for Wang Junxia

{{short description|Chinese long-distance runner}}
{{family name hatnote|[[Wang (surname)|Wang]] ({{linktext|王}})|lang=Chinese}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Wang Junxia
| image = 
| imagesize = 
| caption = 
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| nationality = [[China|Chinese]]
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1973|1|9|df=y}}<ref name=iaaf.org>{{cite web |title=Wang Junxia |url=http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/pr-of-china/junxia-wang-67840 |website=iaaf.org |publisher=[[International Association of Athletics Federations]] |access-date=10 June 2015}}</ref>
| birth_place = [[Jiaohe, Jilin|Jiaohe]], [[Jilin City]], China<ref name=sports-reference>{{cite sports-reference |title=Wang Junxia |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wa/wang-junxia-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417174118/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/wa/wang-junxia-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2020 |access-date=10 June 2015}}</ref>
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| height = 162 cm<ref name=sports-reference/>
| weight = 50 kg<ref name=sports-reference/>
| country = 
| sport = [[Track and Field]]
| event = [[1500 metres]], [[3000 metres]], [[5000 metres]], [[10000 metres]], [[Marathon]]
| club = 
| team = 
| turnedpro = 
| retired = 
| coaching = 
| worlds = 
| regionals = 
| nationals = 
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| highestranking = 
| pb = '''[[1500 metres]]''': 3:51.92<ref name=iaaf.org/><br>'''[[3000 metres]]''': 8:06.11 {{AthAbbr|WR}}<ref name=iaaf.org/><br>'''[[5000 metres]]''': 14:51.87<ref name=iaaf.org/><br>'''[[10000 metres]]''': 29:31.78<ref name=iaaf.org/><br>'''[[Marathon]]''': 2:24:07<ref name=iaaf.org/>
| updated = 
| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport | Women's [[Sport of athletics|athletics]]}}
{{Medal|Country | {{CHN}} }}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold| [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996 Atlanta]] | [[Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics - Women's 5000 metres|5000 m]]}}
{{Medal|Silver| 1996 Atlanta | [[Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics - Women's 10000 metres|10,000 m]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[IAAF World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold |[[1993 World Championships in Athletics|1993 Stuttgart]]| [[1993 World Championships in Athletics - Women's 10000 metres|10,000 m]] }}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Asian Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold| [[1994 Asian Games|1994 Hiroshima]] | [[Athletics at the 1994 Asian Games|10,000 m]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Asian Athletics Championships|Asian Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[1993 Asian Athletics Championships|1993 Manila]]|10,000 m}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[1995 Asian Athletics Championships|1995 Jakarta]]|5000 m}}
{{Medal|Gold|1995 Jakarta|10,000 m}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[IAAF World Junior Championships in Athletics|World Junior Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[1992 World Junior Championships in Athletics|1992 Seoul]]| [[1992 World Junior Championships in Athletics|10,000 m]]}}
| show-medals = yes
}}

'''Wang Junxia''' ({{zh|s=王军霞|t=王軍霞|p=Wáng Jūnxiá}}; born 9 January 1973) is a [[Chinese race|Chinese]] former [[Long-distance track event|long-distance]] [[Running|runner]] who is the current world record holder at 3,000&nbsp;meters. She also held the world record for the 10,000&nbsp;meters for 23&nbsp;years, between 1993&nbsp;and&nbsp;2016, which is a record in itself. Her best years were from 1991 to 1996. Wang was coached by [[Ma Junren]] until 1995 and by Mao Dezhen from 1995 to her retirement after the [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996 Atlanta Olympics]].

==Early years==
Born in [[Jiaohe, Jilin]], Wang beat [[Ethiopia]]n [[Gete Wami]] to win the [[1992 World Junior Championships in Athletics]] in [[10000 metres|10,000&nbsp;m]] (32:29.90) in [[Seoul]], [[Korea]].

==1993: Record-setting year==
{{BLP unreferenced section|date=June 2023}}
In April 1993, Wang set a world-leading time and former Asian best in [[marathon]] (2:24:07). In May, she broke the Asian record of 3000&nbsp;m in a fast time of 8:27.68 in the Chinese National Championships. In August, Chinese women distance runners under coach Ma Junren stunned the world and swept the world titles from [[1500 metres|1500&nbsp;m]] to 10,000 m in [[Stuttgart]], Germany. Wang claimed the world title in 10,000 m (30:49.30), although she was sick before the race. In less than a month, she went on to win the [[3000 metres|3000&nbsp;m]] and 10,000&nbsp;m in the [[Athletics at the 1993 National Games of China|Chinese National Games]] with three world records in three races.

On 8 September 1993, she won the 10,000&nbsp;m final in a world record of 29:31.78, which bettered the former record by 42 seconds and was also the first-ever sub-30 minute performance in this event. The 10,000 record would remain on the books as the world record until the [[Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Women's 10,000 metres|2016 Olympics]] when it was smashed by Ethiopian [[Almaz Ayana]].

On 11 September, she finished second in 1500&nbsp;m behind her teammate, [[Qu Yunxia]] in another world record breaking race. Qu ran 3:50.46 (world record at the time) against Wang's 3:51.92.  Four years later, [[Jiang Bo (athlete)|Bo Jiang]] and [[Yinglai Lang]] ran slightly faster than Wang in the same race.   Qu's record remained on the books until it was finally beaten by [[Genzebe Dibaba]] of Ethiopia when she ran 3:50.07 at the [[Herculis]] meet in [[Monaco]] on 15 July 2015.  Wang is currently fifth on the all-time list.

In 3000&nbsp;m heats on 12 September, Wang's teammates broke the 3000&nbsp;m world record in the first heat. This world record was just briefly held, when it was erased by Wang in the second heat. The next day she claimed the 3000&nbsp;m in another record time 8:06.11. She also won the World Cup Marathon Championships later in the year.

In 1994, she was awarded the [[Jesse Owens]] prize on the remarkable performances in 1993. She was the first and only Chinese and Asian person to win the prize. Although she won the [[Asian Games]] in 10,000&nbsp;m with a world-leading time (30:50.34) later in the year in [[Hiroshima]], her world-record breaking form was obviously gone.

In 1995, Wang and her teammates broke up with their coach Ma due to prize money and his harsh coaching style. After a short period of training on their own without a major success, Wang started to train under coach Mao Dezhen to prepare for the 1996 Olympics. In [[Nanjing]], she announced a comeback in the Olympics Trials, where she ran quality times in both 5000&nbsp;m and 10,000 m.

==1996 Olympics==
{{BLP unreferenced section|date=June 2023}}
At the 1996 Summer Olympics, Wang won the new Olympic event, women's 5000&nbsp;m (14:59.88) and a silver in the 10,000&nbsp;m (31:02.58) just a second behind [[Portugal|Portuguese]] [[Fernanda Ribeiro]]. Ribeiro made a heroic final lap [[Kick (running)|kick]] that surprised Wang and perhaps because she was not used to being challenged, she was unable to react to it. In fact, not only did both women's performances better the previous Olympic record in the 10,000&nbsp;m, they ran it in such high temperatures that officials were handing out cups of water in the middle of the race, like a marathon. She retired after the Olympics and married Zhan Yu.

==After retirement and controversy==
''[[The Guardian]]'' reported in 2001 that Wang was living anonymously in [[Beijing]].<ref>{{Cite web |author=Duncan Mackay |date=24 July 2001 |title=Ma's army on the march again |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2001/jul/24/athletics.duncanmackay1 |publisher=[[The Guardian|theguardian.com]] |access-date=26 September 2013}}</ref> In 2008 Wang and her husband Huang Tianwen moved to [[Denver]], [[Colorado]].<ref name="Athletics Weekly 2012, p 62">Athletics Weekly, 13 December 2012, p 62</ref> In 2012, she told the Spanish newspaper ''[[El País|El Pais]]'' that she was writing her autobiography.<ref name="Athletics Weekly 2012, p 62"/>

The [[International Association of Athletics Federations]] (IAAF) listed Wang in its [[IAAF Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web |title=HALL OF FAME PROFILE - WANG JUNXIA (CHINA) |url=https://www.iaaf.org/news/news/hall-of-fame-profile-wang-junxia-china |website=IAAF |access-date=27 July 2017}}</ref> Wang was the only Chinese athlete to repeat her 1993 successes at the 1996 Olympics, under Coach Ma, though Qu had managed a bronze medal at the 1992 Olympics. However, there were doping allegations about her 1993 performances. [[Yuan Weimin]], former Director General of the [[State General Administration of Sports]] and Chairperson of the [[Chinese Olympic Committee]], had confirmed in 2009 in his book that six athletes coached by her former coach Ma Junren were dropped from the [[2000 Summer Olympics]] because they were tested positive for doping.<ref name=qqsports /> Coach Ma was also fired from the Chinese national team in 2000. During the [[2012 Summer Olympics]], a journalist even lumped Wang and compatriot [[Qu Yunxia]] into a group of so-called "chemical sisters".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gatward |first1=Matt |title=British athlete saw Ethiopian runner who smashed 10,000m record 'ill' before race |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/jo-pavey-almaz-ayana-rio-2016-britain-10000m-olympics-lapped-record-a7187931.html |work=The Independent |date=12 August 2016 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Dreyer |first1=Mark |title=Wang Junxia stigma removed, but China finds new fall girl |url=http://chinasportsinsider.com/2016/08/13/wang-junxia-records-goes-but-swimmer-gets-suspension/ |work=China Sports Insider |date=13 August 2016}}</ref>

On 3 February 2016, [[Tencent]] Sports exclusively published a March 1995 letter reportedly from Wang and nine other athletes under Ma's tutelage. In it, they alleged Coach Ma forced them to dope.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tatlow |first1=Didi Kirsten |title=Doping Claims Involving Chinese Track Stars Re-emerge, Decades Later |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/25/world/asia/china-olympics-doping-ma-junren.html |website=New York Times |date=24 February 2016 |access-date=27 July 2017}}</ref> Zhao Yu, the investigative author who had received the letter, said Wang and others came forward because Coach Ma had told them to take personal responsibilities, should they get caught. The letter was initially published in 2015 in Zhao's book, but only gained traction in February 2016.<ref name=qqsports>{{cite web |title=独家-王军霞领衔举报马家军强迫使用兴奋剂 |url=http://sports.qq.com/a/20160203/002010.htm |website=Tencent Sports |access-date=27 July 2017}}</ref> The story raised suspicion over the legitimacy of Wang's world records. The IAAF confirmed it had reached out to the [[Chinese Athletics Association]] for verification and would investigate, but the latter has yet to respond.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/athletics/2016/02/25/athletics-world-records-blow-as-wang-junxia-admits-being-part-of/ |title=Athletics world records blow as Wang Junxia 'admits' being part of Chinese state-sponsored doping regime |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=25 February 2016 |access-date=13 August 2016 |last1=Bloom |first1=Ben}}</ref> The IAAF was expected to discuss a proposal to wipe all pre-2005 world records in August 2017, due to it having only stored blood and urine samples since 2005.<ref>{{cite web |title=Athletics: 'Radical' proposal recommends rewriting world records |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/02/sport/world-records-european-athletics/index.html |website=CNN |date=2 May 2017 |access-date=27 July 2017}}</ref>

In May 2025, [[Beatrice Chebet]] ran 8:11.56 for [[3000 metres]], falling 5.45 seconds short of Junxia's officially recognized 8:06.11 world record.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chebet storms to second on world 3000m all-time list with 8:11.56 in Rabat {{!}} REPORTS {{!}} World Athletics |url=https://worldathletics.org/competitions/diamond-league/news/rabat-2025-chebet-el-bakkali-bol |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250526170813/https://worldathletics.org/competitions/diamond-league/news/rabat-2025-chebet-el-bakkali-bol |archive-date=26 May 2025 |access-date=2025-05-27 |website=worldathletics.org |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref> Given the [[Wang Junxia#After retirement & controversy|controversy]] surrounding Wang's world record, some organizations outside of [[World Athletics]], such as [[Track & Field News|Track and Field News]], do not recognize it.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Prevor |first=Harry |date=2025-05-25 |title=Beatrice Chebet Blasts 8:11.56 3K #2 All-Time At Rabat Diamond League |url=https://www.flotrack.org/articles/14239722-beatrice-chebet-blasts-81156-3k-2-all-time-at-rabat-diamond-league |access-date=2025-05-27 |website=FloTrack |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Sport of athletics}}
* [[Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
* [[List of world records in athletics]]
* [[China at the World Championships in Athletics]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{sports links}}
* [http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0408.htm Crash Training: Wang And Qu: It's the question on the lips of many elite female (and male) runners these days: will I ever be able to run as fast as Wang and Qu?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050924100949/http://pponline.co.uk/encyc/0408.htm |date=24 September 2005 }}
* [https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2001/jul/24/athletics.duncanmackay1 Ma's army on the march again - Drug tests await Chinese runners in Edmonton]

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|rec}}
{{succession box|before=[[Ingrid Kristiansen]]|title=[[10,000 metres world record progression#Women|Women's 10,000 m World Record Holder]]|years=8 September 1993 – 12 August 2016|after=[[Almaz Ayana]]}}
{{succession box|before=[[Zhang Linli]]|title=[[Women's 3000 metres world record progression|Women's 3000 m World Record Holder]]|years=12 September 1993 –|after=Incumbent}}
{{s-ach|aw}}
{{succession box|before=[[Monica Seles]]|title=[[United Press International Athlete of the Year Award#Female winners|United Press International<br>Athlete of the Year]]|after=[[Le Jingyi]]|years=[[1993 in sports|1993]]}}
{{succession box|title=[[Track & Field Athlete of the Year|Women's Track & Field Athlete of the Year]]|before=[[Heike Drechsler]]|after={{flagicon|USA}} [[Jackie Joyner-Kersee]]|years=[[1993 in athletics (track and field)|1993]]}}
{{s-sports}}
{{succession box|before= [[Yelena Romanova]]|title=[[3000 metres#Women.27s Seasons Best .28Outdoor Track.29|Women's 3000 m Best Year Performance]]|years=1993|after=[[Sonia O'Sullivan]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions 5000 m Women}}
{{Footer World Champions 10000 m Women}}
{{Asian Games Champions Athletics 10,000 m Women}}
{{Footer Asian Champions women's 5000 metres}}
{{Footer IAAF World Marathon Cup Champions Women}}
{{Footer World Junior Champions women's 10,000 metres}}
{{Footer WBYP 3000m Women}}
{{Footer WBYP 10000m Women}}
{{Footer WBYP Marathon Women}}
{{IAAF Hall of Fame}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wang, Junxia}}
[[Category:1973 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Runners from Jilin]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Jilin City]]
[[Category:Chinese women long-distance runners]]
[[Category:Chinese women middle-distance runners]]
[[Category:Chinese women marathon runners]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for China]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for China]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for China]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Asian Games gold medalists for China]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1994 Asian Games]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for China]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:World Athletics record holders]]
[[Category:Track & Field News Athlete of the Year winners]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1994 Asian Games]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:Asian Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:Chinese Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:Asian Games gold medalists in athletics (track and field)]]