Xie Zhengye (on cushion) trains with his team. [Photo provided to Zhejiang Daily]

As anticipation builds for the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games, all eyes are on who will emerge as the vanguard for Chinese athletics in the highly coveted men's 100-meter event.

With the absence of renowned sprinter Su Bingtian, the question lingers: who will shoulder the weight of China's sprinting aspirations?

Last week, the 2023 National Athletics Championships not only unveiled the preliminary selections for the forthcoming Budapest World Championships and Hangzhou Asian Games but also magnified the uncertainty surrounding China's flagbearer in the sprinting arena.

Among the contenders, Shaoxing's Xie Zhenye clinched double crowns in the 100-meter and 200-meter races, registering impressive times of 10.09 seconds and 20.49 seconds, respectively.

"Xie's unwavering focus on the elusive 10-second mark overshadowed certain technical intricacies, leaving room for a mere 0.09 seconds of remorse," commented Xie's mentor, Tao Jianrong.

"Statistical data from the competition indeed indicates progress. However, assuming the mantle of China's sprinting powerhouse comes with immense pressure," Tao added.

The zenith of Xie's career arrived at the 2018 Montreuil Athletics Meeting in France, where he shattered expectations with a blistering time of 9.97 seconds in the men's 100-meter final. He then etched his name in history by setting a new Asian record of 19.88 seconds in the men's 200-meter event at the 2019 London Diamond League.

Reflecting on the men's 100-meter event at the forthcoming Hangzhou Asian Games, Tao expressed confidence in Xie's preparation, expressing his high hopes for the gold medal.