Ma returns with new model army

Dong Yanmei, a 17-year-old protege of Ma Junren, smashed the women's world 5,000 metres record at the Chinese National Games in Shanghai in another slice of athletics history for the coach.

Dong and two other runners beat the old record of 14 minutes 36.45 seconds set by Fernanda Ribeiro of Portugal in Belgium on July 22nd, 1995.

The teenager set a new world best time of 14:31.27 in the 5,000 metres heats. Another member of "Ma's Family Army", Jiang Bo, was second in 14:31.30. Liu Shixiang of Shandong province came in third in 14:32.33.

This latest performance, after the previously unknown Dong and Jiang had run the fastest times in the world this year for 10,000 and 1,500 metres respectively earlier in the championships, will once again arouse suspicion that Ma's athletes are using performance enhancing drugs.

The run of Liu Shixiang, whose is not a member of Ma's group and is from a different province, will also raise fears drug abuse in Chinese sport is widespread.

The packed Shanghai stadium erupted as the new athletic stars sealed a stunning comeback by the 52-year-old coach, who first hit the headlines with the record-breaking feats of his earlier generation of runners four years ago.

In 1993, Wang Junxia, Qu Yunxia and Liu Dong came from nowhere to dominate the middle and long distance events at the Stuttgart world championships. Ma set the world alight with his claims that he gave runners a daily concoction which included blood from a freshly killed turtle.

At the National Games in Beijing months later, Wang was one of two Chinese women to beat the 10,000 metres record, Qu beat the 1,500 metres record, which Wang also bettered. More spectacularly, Wang beat the 3,000 metres world record twice in 24 hours.

Wang and Liu Dong split from Ma in a dispute over prize money from the 1993 world championships and his dictatorial training regime.

Ma has also been recovering from serious illness and a car crash. But he has proven doubters wrong.

This week, the coach has been directing his runners from the stands of the Shanghai track, surrounded by Chinese reporters watching his every move.

Ma has already warned he his preparing his stable of runners for an onslaught on the next Olympics.

"I am setting my sights on the 2000 Olympics and I'm confident that my girls will be good enough to create miracles in Sydney," he said.

Ma's new runners, who say they consider Wang a "traitor" for leaving the "Army", have already made their presence felt at the championships. Dong timed 30:38.09 in the 10,000 metres on Sunday and was for a long time on course for the world record of 29:31.78.

On Saturday, Jiang Bo, who is 20, came within 0.52 second of the women's 1,500 metres world record set by Qu in Beijing four years ago. She clocked 3:50.98, making a burst four laps from the end after seeing a sign from Ma.

5,000m

Progression

14:37.33 - Ingrid Kristiansen (Nor)

August 5th, 1986 Stockholm.

14:36.45 - Fernanda Ribeiro (Por)

July 22nd, 1995 Hechtel (Bel).

14:31.27 - Dong Yanmei (Chn)

October 21st, 1997 Shanghai.