Shanghai curtain raiser a Diamond day for amateur aces

Although Chinese stars Zeng Jianhang and Lyu Huihui were in attendance at the March 28 news conference for the upcoming Shanghai Diamond League competition, it was the tall and slender Hungarian amateur runner standing beside them who stole the show.

Speaking in fluent Mandarin, Kate Sogor left the crowd in awe as she introduced herself as a participant in this year's Diamond Open, a competitive event for amateur athletes that will take place on May 11 at the Shanghai University of Sport. The winners of this event will get to compete in finals which will take place before the start of the Diamond League meet at Shanghai Stadium on May 18.

The 31-year-old was also presented with a commemorative race bib for her participation. The purpose of this gesture, said organizers, was to encourage more people to take part in track and field events and drive interest in sporting activities.

Interest in track and field has already been growing, according to Ellen van Langen, Shanghai Diamond League meet director.

"What amazes me is the growth of the athletics fanbase in China. More and more people are watching competitions, be it via online channels or at the stadiums," said van Langen.

Yang Yibin, general manager of Juss Event, the organizer of the Shanghai Diamond League, said that while ticket sales have been strong, there is still room for more growth.

"The Shanghai Diamond League has without doubt become the most prestigious stage for track and field in the city. However, we feel that the reception for track and field, in terms of ticket sales and viewership, is still behind other sports like Formula One and basketball," he said.

"And this is partly because track and field is something that is still limited to our school days. When we leave school, we can still easily get together to play basketball or go karting. But most of us won't have the chance to do track events."

One of the ways to raise awareness and interest in the sport, added Yang, is through events such as the Diamond Open.

"This competitive event for amateurs is akin to a bridge between the professional events and the masses," he said.

"We hope to grow the influence of track and field through this event and encourage more people to come and experience the joys and excitement this sport has to offer."

It is no coincidence that track and field's popularity has been growing in tandem with Chinese athletes' achievements on the global stage.

One prime example is javelin thrower Lyu who has consistently shone in international competitions. Last year, she won her Shanghai Diamond League event with a season-best throw of 66.85 meters. Shot putter Gong Lijiao, the current world champion, was no less impressive at the same competition, defending her title with a 19.99m effort.

On track for glory

On the track, Chinese sprint sensation Su Bingtian in 2015 became the first Asia-born athlete to break the 10-second barrier. At last year's Shanghai Diamond League, he was narrowly beaten to 100m gold in a photo finish with Britain's Reece Prescod.

Earlier this year, Su clocked a stunning 6.49 seconds over 60 meters at a World Indoor Tour meet in Dusseldorf to clinch victory.

Last year, in an interview with Associated Press, IAAF president Sebastian Coe said that China has been one of the most improved athletic nations in the world over the past six or seven years.

The rise in interest in track and field mirrors a wider sports boom across the country.

According to a July 2018 Mintel report, 93 percent of urban Chinese consumers had participated in sports over the previous six months.

"Overall, the China's sports participation market is a fast-growing one, estimated to have reached RMB 109.8 billion ($16 billion) in 2017, with a year-on-year growth rate of 14.2 percent and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.4 percent between 2012 and 2017," read the report.

"Furthermore, the market value of China's sports participation market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 13.6 percent between 2017 and 2022, reaching 207.5 billion yuan in 2022."

This development spells good news for the national fitness strategy which was implemented in 2016 with an aim of having 435 million people exercising regularly by 2020.

Sogor, who has taken part in numerous ultra-distance races across the country, has a keen interest in the running boom in China.

In 2018, the Hungarian entrepreneur co-founded Trash Running China, a group which encourages people to run and retrieve trash at the same time. The group's first run at Dishui Lake in Pudong, Shanghai had just eight runners. Today, their weekly runs are attended by about 50 people.

"Running has become trendy in China over the past few years. People view marathons not only as an achievement but also as fashionable," said Sogor, who has lived in China for the past 10 years.

"The numbers also speak for themselves－over 400 marathons were held in China in 2017, up from 22 six years ago. The Chinese Athletics Association has also said that a total of 2.8 million runners attended these races last year, which is 1.3 million more than 2015."

Sogor first took part in the Diamond Open last year with a team from Trash Running China. This year, she is planning to field two teams.

"Running in a competitive event is a little different to what we usually do, which is very relaxed, so I thought it would be exciting to be part of a different atmosphere. I'm sure it will be a good experience," she enthused.

Sogor also reckons the Diamond Open is a clever way to promote track and field.

"It's definitely good promotion for the sport. I say so based on the interest that our own running group has shown－many of the less experienced runners are willing to take part in this competition," she said.

"The fact that there's a relay run and a team event with short distances, compared to marathon or half-marathon races, makes the Diamond Open very attractive to the masses."