At the 1997 National Games of China, the athletics events were held in Shanghai in October 1997.
These Games were marred by numerous doping affairs.
Guangxi runners Chen Xuehui (the 800m silver medalist), Jiang Limei (the 400m hurdles champion) and Peng Yinghua (the 400m hurdles silver medalist) were later disqualified for doping. Sichuan long jumper Xiong Qiying, the long jump event winner, also tested positive.
The 100m was held from 17 to 18 October. After having clocking 10.90 seconds in the heats (setting a new area record in the process), Sichuan's Li Xuemei easily won her semi-final before smashing her record in a high-level final with a time of 10.79 seconds. Her teammate Liu Xiaomei, who had won the event four years before, took the silver medal in a personal best time of 10.89 seconds. Guangxi two-time Olympian veteran Tian Yumei finished third with a time of 11.06 seconds; equaling her personal best she had set in the semi-finals.
Nineteen-year-old Xiao Lin from Sichuan broke the Asian junior record three times. She came to Shanghai with a personal best of 11.29 seconds set in Chengdu that year and improved it to 11.22 in the heats, then to 11.20 in the semi-finals and finally to 11.17 in the final.
First 4 of each heat (Q) qualified for the final.
The 200m was held from 21âÂÂ22 October. Chen Yuxiang from Shandong set a new Asian junior record of 22.83 seconds in the heats and advanced to the semi-finals.
First 4 of each heat (Q) qualified for the final.
The 400m was held from 17âÂÂ18 October.
The final was won by Liaoning 17-year-old Li Jing in an astonishing time of 50.01 seconds. She beat Grit Breuer's world youth record of 50.48 seconds set in 1989 in the process.
Guangdong Du Xiujie and Shandong Chen Yuxiang finished respectively second and third. Zhang Hengyun, from Jiangsu, who had finished second in the event four years before; crossed the line in fourth place, recording despite all a new personal best.
The 800m was held from 21âÂÂ22 October.
First 2 of each heat (Q) and the next 2 fastest (q) qualified for the final.
The 1500m was held from 17âÂÂ18 October. It primarily consisted of Liaoning runners.
Qu Yunxia was expected to break the 3:50 bar according to her coach, Ma Junren. However, she fell during the final and only finished eighth. Her 20-year-old teammate Jiang Bo eventually won the race, clocking 3:50.98, the second fastest time ever. It remains one of three times under 3:51. Less than a half second behind her, barely 18 year old Lang Yinglai set the still standing World Junior Record, breaking the previous record by Lan Lixin set in the qualifying round. In fifth place, 16 year old Zhang Ling set the still standing World Youth Best. At the conclusion of this race, the top six all were in the top 12 in history (plus Qu in eight place still the world record holder). Since this race, only Genzebe Dibaba has run faster than any of them.
First 5 of each heat (Q) and the next 4 fastest (q) qualified for the final.
The 10000m was held on 19 October.
The 100m hurdles were held from 17âÂÂ18 October.
The 400m hurdles were held from 21âÂÂ22 October.
Jiang Limei and Peng Yinghua, both from Guangxi had respectively won the gold and the silver medals but were later disqualified after failing a doping test.
First 2 of each heat (Q) and the next 2 fastest (q) qualified for the final.
The 4 ÃÂ 400 m relay was held on 23 October.
The heptathlon was held on 17âÂÂ18 October. After a three years break, Zhejiang Chinese record holder Ma Miaolan won her second consecutive National Games title, winning the event with a total of 6236 points. Her 16-year-old teammate Shen Shengfei set a new world youth record to finish second, beating Sichuan's Liu Xin by just one point.