Controversy Arises: “Fastest Nurse” Zhang Shuihua Excluded from China Athletics Official List Despite Outstanding Marathon Times

“Fastest nurse” Zhang Shuihua has once again become the center of attention. According to official sources, she was not included in the Chinese Athletics Association’s official annual ranking for amateur women marathoners, raising questions given that she had no reported competition violations.

The official list for non-registered female marathoners includes the top 35 performers of the year. Surprisingly, Zhang Shuihua’s name is missing. She recorded a personal best of 2:30:38 at the Changzhou Marathon, a result that would place her fourth nationally, only behind Ding Changqin, Huang Xuemei, and Yao Miao. Shockingly, the last athlete on the list ran 3:30:33—over an hour slower than Zhang.

Zhang also clocked 2:33:43 at the Dongying Marathon, 2:35:41 at the Yichang Marathon, and 2:35:52 at the Shenzhen Marathon this year, all performances ranking within China’s top six. Even in the historical rankings of amateur female marathoners, Zhang Shuihua’s name is absent.

Netizens are speculating: did the Chinese Athletics Association remove her, or was this an administrative oversight? As of now, the association has not issued any official statement. Notably, on December 9, Zhang faced internal disciplinary action at her hospital for unauthorized part-time work and falsified leave claims, but no competition-related violations were reported.

Zhang Shuihua’s impressive results and ongoing controversy continue to draw public attention.