By AFP
China clinched two tickets for the Athens Olympic Games next year and Japan took one after the cross country races at the Asian mountain bike championships ended Sunday in Aomori, Japan.
Ma Yanping defeated Japan’s Hiroko Nambu to win the women’s race and earned a seat for China in the Olympics, covering five laps on the 6.4km course in 2:27:35 seconds to beat Nambu by 1:08.44.
Gao Xiaoning was third in 2:29:44, followed by fellow Chinese Zhang Xinhua fourth in 2:31:05.
In the men’s six-lap race, Shinobu Noguchi secured a berth in the Olympics for Japan with his winning time of 2:19:04.24, beating his compatriot Hiroki Irokawa by 1:55.92.
Shao Xiaojun took the last ticket for Athens available here by finishing third in 2:21:47.07.
The winning country in the women’s race and top two countries in the men’s race were eligible for the Olympic Games.–Copyright 2003/AFP
Results from the Asian mountain bike championships Sunday in Aomori, Japan
Women
1. Ma Yanping (Chn), 32.5km in 2:27:35 (13.01 km/h)
2. Hiroko Nambu (Jpn), 2:28:43.98
3. Gao Xiaoning (Chn), 2:29:44.41
4. Zhang Xinhua (Chn), 2:31:05.10
5. Yukari Nakagome (Jpn), 2:31:51.35
6. Masami Mashimo (Jpn), 2:36:46.71
7. Nguyan Thi Tha Huyen (Vie), 2:38:22.53
8. Wang Jingjing (Chn), 2:39:51.85
9. Izumi Takahashi (Jpn), 2:41:47.85
10. Jiraporn Jantarus (Tha), 2:43:41.68
11. Baby Marites Bitbit (Phi), 2:48:51.16
12. Nguyen Thanh Dam (Vie), 2:49:10.44
13. Kwak Mi-Hee (Kor), 2:50:59.60
14. Kusmawati Yazid (Ina), 2:52:06.01
15. Nguyen Thi Kim Uyen (Vie), three laps behind
16. Norasyimah Ali (Mas), four laps behind
17. Chou Pei-ni (Tpe), four laps behind
18. Ummi Malsarah Abu Hassan (Mas), four laps behind
Men
1. Shinobu Noguchi (Jpn), 39km in 2:19:04.24 (16.57 km/h)
2. Hiroki Irokawa (Jpn), 2:21:00.16
3. Shao Xiaojun (Chn), 2:21:47.07
4. Li Fuyu (Chn), 2:22:44.83
5. Zhu Yongbiao (Chn), 2:23:51.75
6. Kenji Takeya (Jpn), 2:24:08.90
7. Jiang Xueli (Chn), 2:28:39.51
8. Takanori Yamaguchi (Jpn), 2:29:09.15
9. Usman Ali (Ina), 2:34:17.29
10. Chan Chun-hing (Hkg), 2:37:01.76
11. Na Sang-Hoon (Kor), 2:37:57.48
12. Eusebio Quinones (Phi), 2:39:50.35
13. Do Xuan Tam (Vie), one lap behind
14. Suglanto Gimo (Ina), one lap behind
15. Hossein Jahanbanian Kamnab (IRI), one lap behind
16. Shin Bong-Chul (Kor), one lap behind
17. Choi Jin-Yong (Kor), one lap behind
18. Cheng Cheuk-chun (Hkg), one lap behind
19. Valentin Iglinskiy (Kaz), one lap behind
20. Nor Effendy Rosli (Mas), one lap behind