BEIJING (AP) — The Latest from the IAAF world championships (all times local):
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10 a.m.
China has won its first gold medal of the world championships with Liu Hong winning in the women’s 20-kilometer race walk.
Liu won in 1 hour, 27 minutes, 45 seconds, finishing only steps ahead of teammate Lu Xiuzhi. Lyudmyla Olyanovska of Ukraine won the bronze medal, 28 seconds behind Liu.
Liu, who set the world record in the event in June, has a silver and two bronze medals from the previous three world championships.
Italian teammates Eleonora Giorgi and Elisa Rigaudo were in third place at the mid-point of the race but were both disqualified after receiving three warnings for lifting both feet off the ground at the same time.
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9:35 a.m.
Olympic champion Ashton Eaton started the defense of his decathlon world title on Friday by running 10.23 seconds in the 100 meters, a championship record for the 10-discipline event.
Eaton, the decathlon world-record holder, won the last of four heats to collect 1,040 points, holding off Damian Warner of Canada, who picked up 1,020 points for finishing in 10.31.
Rico Freimuth of Germany ran his season-best 10.51 and was followed by Felipe Dos Santos of Brazil in 10.53 and two-time world champion Trey Hardee in 10.56.
The decathletes were also competing in long jump and shot put during the morning session on Day 7.
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9:30 a.m.
As expected, Chinese teammates Liu Hong and Lu Xiuzhi were leading at the halfway point of the women’s 20-kilometer race walk.
Liu has three medals from the past three world championships, but no gold. She set a world record in the event in June.
Lu has the second-fastest time in the field this year.
Elisa Rigaudo and Eleonora Giorgi, both from Italy, were in a pack of walkers about 25 seconds behind.
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8:35 a.m.
They’re off and … walking.
The women’s 20-kilometer walk is the first event to get going on Day 7 of the world championships, with China favored to win its first gold medal of the competition.
Liu Hong, who holds the world record in the event, is the one to beat.
In the evening session, there will be four more finals, including the women’s 200 meters. The men’s 110 hurdles is also on the schedule, along with the women’s 100 hurdles and the women’s long jump.
The decathlon, with Olympic gold medalist Ashton Eaton as the favorite, will also get started on Friday.
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