As graceful and gritty Eala’s long journey begins, Asia is entranced

Human achievement is a profoundly moving thing, for to step into unknown territory is an irresistible act of daring. My earliest heroes were Edmund Hillary, and Tenzing Norgay, who first travelled to where no human had journeyed, into the thin, menacing air of the summit of Everest.

“You don’t have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things – to compete,” said Hillary, and the daughter of a Taiwanese postman certainly believed that. Chi Cheng was an unusual name to find at the top of a fastest-human list in 1970. The West, we knew, was swift, yet here she was, this Asian outsider whose father borrowed money to buy his child’s first spikes, setting world records in the 100 and 200 yards.