At a press conference in Beijing last week, Yanni admitted to having been apprehensive about long-distance running throughout her career. "Every time my coach asked me to run 1,200 meters, I was very worried," the Chinese 100m hurdles star said.

Despite this, Yanni expressed her desire to try long-distance running after her professional hurdling career ends. "I plan to start with 5 km, then 10 km, and even a half marathon. I see it as a personal challenge after retirement. I hope that by then, I can still keep up with everyone," she said.

Currently, Yanni remains focused on her specialty, the 100m hurdles, with the ambition of reaching the top 8 at the Olympics.

Wu Yanni at the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China. Photo: *Instagram / wuyanni_jennie*

On 3/6, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) updated the latest women's 100m hurdles world rankings. Yanni ranked 30th globally and 2nd in Asia, behind Japanese athlete Tanaka Yumi (1,276 points, 22nd globally). Jyothi Yarraji, the Indian athlete who won the gold medal at the Asian Championships, ranked 39th globally and 3rd in Asia with 1,233 points.

According to Red Star News, since the beginning of 2025, the IAAF has released rankings 22 times, with Yanni ranking first in Asia eight times and second the remaining times.

On the evening of 29/5, at the women's 100m hurdles final of the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea, Yanni won the bronze medal with a time of 13.07 seconds. Yarraji successfully defended her title with 12.96 seconds, while Yumi finished second.

Yanni limped after the race and said she had not fully recovered from her injury. "I still think I am the best in Asia and China is the strongest team in Asia," the 27-year-old athlete confidently stated.

Wu Yanni (center) in the 100m hurdles at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea. Photo: *China Daily*

According to Sanxiang Metropolis Daily, Yanni's mother, Xiong Yan, said the result wasn't important, and she only hoped her daughter would recover soon to participate in the next tournaments in the best condition.

"Injuries have to be normalized," Yanni expressed. "Having chosen this path, I must accept the hardships because injuries are inevitable for athletes. I have to face them calmly and actively recover."

On 22/6, Yanni visited children with disabilities at Henan Children's Hospital and donated 28,000 USD. "As a hurdler, I know that the meaning of running is not only about speed but also about persistently pursuing goals and overcoming difficulties," she said. "For children who have mobility challenges due to congenital illnesses or accidents, running is an especially precious dream. So, I hope that through my efforts, I can help these children bravely overcome their illnesses and run freely under the sun as soon as possible."

Wu Yanni donates money during a visit to children with disabilities at Henan Children's Hospital on 22/6. Photo: *Dongqiudi*

Yanni, born on 28/7/1997, in Zigong, a southern city in Sichuan, started her hurdling career in Neijiang before moving to study at Beijing Sport University. She is known as "China's track and field goddess" and attracts attention on social media for her outgoing personality and tattoos. The 27-year-old athlete believes her tattoos symbolize her confidence.

In 2016, representing the Sichuan team in the women's 100m hurdles at the National Athletics Championships, Yanni finished third with a time of 13.58 seconds. At the 13th National Games held in Tianjin, she again finished third with a time of 13.36 seconds.

Yanni won the Chinese championship in 2023, and reached the final of the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships held in Bangkok, but was disqualified for a false start. She won a silver medal at the World University Games in Chengdu in August 2023, achieving a personal best of 12.85 seconds in the semi-finals. In the final, she further improved her personal best to 12.76 seconds.

In the final of the 2022 Asian Games, Yanni was again disqualified for a false start. She recently participated in the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow in the 60m hurdles, where she achieved a personal best of 8.12 seconds.

In 2024, Yanni achieved her goal of competing in her first Olympics in Paris. However, she gave herself a score of zero for not being able to compete effectively in her specialty, the women's 100m hurdles.

Hong Duy (*CQnews, Dongqiudi*)