GUANGZHOU: Hosts China made clear who was boss on the opening day of the Asian Games Saturday by claiming 19 of the 28 gold medals on offer, including its 1,000th since first competing in 1974.
The sporting extravaganza, the most ambitious Asiad so far with some 10,000 athletes from 45 countries and territories vying for gold in 42 sports, kicked into gear after a spectacular ceremony opened the massive showpiece.
China’s Yuan Xiaochao took the first honours, ensuring his name goes down in the history books as the first gold medal winner in Guangzhou by successfully defending the men’s Changquan title in wushu.
It was the first of 476 golds to be decided over two weeks of competition, with China heavily favoured to top the medal table. South Korea and Japan should battle for second. “I’m so happy to have won the first gold medal of the Games and I appreciate my coach’s help.
I will make it up to him by working even harder,” said Yuan, who has aspirations of becoming a martial arts film star.
Swimmer Zhu Qianwei also made history by claiming China’s 1,000th Asian Games gold, a feat no other nation has achieved.
The landmark was reached when she won the women’s 200 metres freestyle, 36 years after China first competed in an Asiad at Tehran in 1974.
They have progressively become more dominant over the years, culminating in winning 165 golds at the last Games in Doha four years ago. “To get this kind of achievement in my first Asian Games makes me very excited, especially in my home country,” said Zhu, who was not aware of the milestone she had reached.
The pool glory went to China who won four gold to Japan’s two, including victory in the women’s 100m butterfly to Olympic silver medalist Jiao Liuyang.
China added to their haul on the Aoti shooting ranges, with Zhu Qinan making amends for his bitter defeat in the Beijing Olympics.
Zhu, the Athens Olympic champion who was reduced to tears after losing to India’s Abhinav Bindra on home soil two years ago, hit back with a vengeance.
He won both the team and individual titles in the men’s 10m Air Rifle competition as China picked up five of the six shooting golds on offer. South Korea prevented a clean-sweep by the hosts by taking the team title in the men’s 50m Pistol.
China also won all five titles in dance sport, a discipline making is Asiad bow. But it wasn’t just China enjoying success, with Hong Kong’s Lee Wai Sze upsetting favourite Guo Shuang to win the first event of the track cycling, snatching victory in the 500m women’s time trial.
The 29-year-old, the top ranked track cyclist in the time trial, individual sprint, keirin and team sprint disciplines, set a new Asian record of 33.945 seconds at the Guangzhou velodrome. “I have been longing for this medal,” said Lee. “I have been turning in good performances on a daily basis in training.”
Japan added to their haul in the pool bu Mariko Adachi easily winning the women’s triathlon ahead of teammate Akane Tsuchihashi with South Korea’s Jang Yun-Jung a distant third.
Elsewhere, Chinese showman Wu Jingbiao added the Asian Games men’s -56kg weightlifting title to his world crown after outclassing a depleted field and Wang Mingjuan outclassed her rivals to top the podiums in the women’s -48kg. China also won the men’s gymnastics team final.
Cricket, was played on Chinese soil for the first time, with the hosts crushing Malaysia by 55 runs. China scored 116 for 6 and Malaysia never threatened to reach their target in front of a disappointingly sparse crowd.
