Junxia Wang

Wang Junxia is a retired Chinese long-distance runner, born on 9 January 1973 in Jiaohe, China. She is one of the most remarkable distance runners in track and field history, with her competitive prime spanning from 1991 to 1996.

Wang remains the current world record holder at 3,000 metres and held the world record for the 10,000 metres for an extraordinary 23 years, from 1993 to 2016. She was coached by Ma Junren until 1995, and subsequently by Mao Dezhen through her retirement following the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, where she competed at the highest level on the global stage.

Wang Junxia's legacy is defined by the sheer longevity of her records and the extraordinary level of her performances during a brief but dominant career. Her 3,000-metre world record, set over three decades ago, has proven virtually untouchable, cementing her place as one of the greatest distance runners the sport has ever produced.