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Sun launches Games gold quest

August 19, 2018
China's Sun Yang celebrates after winning the men's 200m freestyle during the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta Sunday. — AFP
China's Sun Yang celebrates after winning the men's 200m freestyle during the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta Sunday. — AFP

JAKARTA — Sun Yang launched his quest for a possible five-title haul at the Asian Games by finally landing the 200m freestyle crown as China won four of seven golds on the first night of competition in the pool Sunday.

The 26-year-old Olympic and world champion had been pushed into silver at the two previous Games but made no mistake in Jakarta with a commanding victory in one minute and 45.43 seconds.

Gunning for gold in every freestyle event from the 200 to the 1,500 and also a likely relay team member, Sun increased his gold medal tally at Asian Games to six over three editions.

Three of those came four years ago in Incheon after he had served a doping ban, a suspension that has soured his relations with some of his rivals and threatened to sully his legacy.

His compatriots have always backed him passionately, however, and a huge cheer erupted from a large Chinese contingent when he came out onto the deck.

Fifth at the first turn and fourth at the second, Sun stamped his class on the race from the third lap, storming home more than a second clear of Japan's Katsuhiro Matsumoto.

Sun straddled the lane rope to acknowledge the applause of his fans around the Gelora Bung Karno Aquatic Centre before smashing the water in delight at finally claiming the title.

The medal ceremony did not go as smoothly with the flags clattering to the deck as they were being raised, forcing Sun to stand on the podium as the March of the Volunteers was played again with military personnel holding up the three standards.

Asia's other swimming world champion, Xu Jiayu, then celebrated his 23rd birthday with victory in the 100m backstroke, his winning time of 52.34 the second best in the world this year and matching Ryosuke Irie's Games' record.

Japan's Irie was going for a third straight title in the event but had to settle for silver.

Wang Jianjiahe had given China the perfect start to the evening in the inaugural women's 1,500m freestyle final, resisting a late charge from compatriot Li Bingjie to touch the wall in 15:53.68.

Her compatriot Liu Yaxin also needed a strong finish to hold off Japanese teenager Natsumi Sakai and take gold in the 200m backstroke in 2:07.65.

Japan, looking to make a statement two years out from the Tokyo Olympics, finally got a gold on the board with a one-two in the women's 100m breaststroke, Satomi Suzuki (1:06.40) edging compatriot Reona Aoki by five hundredths of a second.

The Japanese did not have to wait long for a second gold-silver sweep with Daiya Seto (1:54.53) leading home Nao Horomura in the next race, the men's 200m butterfly.

The evening finished with a thrilling battle between Asia's swimming superpowers in the women's 4x100m freestyle relay which Chihiro Igarashi clinched for Japan in a Games record time of 3:36.52 with a blistering anchor leg.

Rosmaniar wins

Indonesia's first gold

Defia Rosmaniar produced Indonesia's first gold medal and instantly became toast of the social media in her country Sunday.

The 23-year-old taekwondo fighter scored 8.690 to pip Iran's Marjan Salahshouri (8.470) to the gold in women's individual poomsae event, triggering wild celebration at the Plenary Hall of the Jakarta Convention Centre.

Her head covered in a hijab and the national flag draped around her shoulders, an ecstatic Rosmaniar ran around the arena before being escorted to the VIP gallery where Indonesia President Joko Widodo congratulated her.

Rosmaniar's victory earned Indonesia its first ever taekwondo gold in the Asian Games, which it is hosting for the second time.

Beaten semi-finalists Jihye Yun of South Korea and Malaysian Yap Khim Wen won a bronze each.

South Korea, which has dominated the event at the Asian Games since its 1986 inclusion, has won two golds, one silver and one bronze in individual and team poomsae events so far.

Punia wins wrestling gold

for India, Kumar bows out

Commonwealth champion Bajrang Punia gave India its first Asian Games gold in 65kg wrestling after veteran Sushil Kumar suffered a shock first-round exit in Jakarta.

Punia, who won a silver at the 2014 edition in Incheon, battled past Japan's Daichi Takatani 11-8 in a hard-fought final bout.

Punia attacked from the word go to lead by 6-0 in the first minute of play, before the Japanese wrestler closed the gap through a series of counter attacks.

But the Indian, who lost to Takatani in the quaterfinals of the Asian Championships in March, prevailed to give his country the first gold of the 18th edition of the Asiad.

Punia won all his bouts on technical superiority but was tested in the final with a determined Takatani holding him till the last with a challenge.

Earlier Kumar, a two-time Olympic medalist and a medal favorite in the 74kg category, lost to Adam Batirov of Bahrain 3-5 despite vocal support from Indian fans.

It was Uzbekistan's Bekzod Abdurakhmonov who ruled the 74kg category after pinning down Daniyar Kaisanov of Kazakhstan 3-2 to clinch gold.

Meanwhile, Mongolia's Bekhbayar Erdenebat thrashed Kum Song Kang of North Korea 8-2 to claim the 57kg gold.

Iran dominated the heavyweight segment with Olympic champion Hassan Yazdani Charati bagging the 86kg gold while Alireza Karimi Machiani stood first in 97kg. — AFP


August 19, 2018
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