DOHA, Sept. 25 -- China could improve on its results from London two years ago when it fielded a 62-strong team to the Doha athletics world championships.

China reaped two gold, three silver and two bronze medals from the London worlds, the second best in its world championships history as the team to Doha could do even better.

Shot put defending champion Gong Lijiao stands as the clear favorite in her event as the 30-year-old Chinese star rarely met challenges in 2019. She has won 12 of her 13 competitions this season and had under her name the season leading result of 20.31 meters produced in Zurich Diamond League last month.

If Gong wants to make a successful defense of title at her sixth world championships, she needs to be wary of American youngster Chase Ealey, 25, who handed Gong her only loss this season in Shanghai Diamond League event. World indoor silver medallist Danniel Thomas-Dodd of Jamaica is another one to watch as she posted the third best result of 19.55m in 2019.

Yang Jiayu, 23, will face strong challenges from both her rivals and high temperature and humidity in Doha when she started her title defense in Sunday's 20km race walk.

In the La Coruna event in June, Yang lost to Ecuadorian teenager Glenda Morejon by five hundredths of a second. However, she considered the climate here a bigger enemy in the race.

"When I arrived here, I felt it was really hot and humid. It took me so much energy to finish my first training session. But I am adapting to that," said Yang, who will begin her competition around midnight on Sunday, two years after she clinched her first world title in 1:26:18 in London.

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