HANGZHOU: China made a dazzling start on the opening day of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, delivering an impressive performance that reverberated across various sports, signaling their formidable intent in the regional counterpart to the Olympics.
Hosts China kicked off their medal campaign with a resounding victory in the women’s lightweight double sculls rowing event, securing their first gold medal of the Games. The formidable duo of Zou Jiaqi and Qiu Xiuping powered to victory, showcasing their dominance on the rowing lake. Their emphatic win was the harbinger of a gold rush for the home nation.
In a commanding display of skill and speed, Zou and Qiu triumphed with a final time of 7 minutes and 6.78 seconds. Uzbekistan’s Luizakhon Islamova and Malika Tagmativa secured the silver medal, but they trailed behind the Chinese duo by nearly 10 seconds.
Zou, a native of Hangzhou, expressed her excitement, stating, “I am very excited as it’s my first Asian Games.” Qiu added, “Stepping onto the podium today is a new starting point to help us prepare for next year’s Paris Olympics.”
China’s strong showing continued at the rowing venue as the men’s lightweight double sculls gold was claimed by Fan Junjie and Sun Man, who finished five seconds ahead of India’s Arjun Lal Jat and Arvind Singh.
China’s Prowess in Hangzhou Asian Games
China’s prowess extended to various sports, with the nation securing a remarkable six of the seven gold medals awarded at the Fuyang Water Sports Centre on Sunday morning. The Hong Kong pair of Lam San-tung and Wong Wai-chun added to the diversity of winners by clinching the gold in the men’s pairs event.
Furthermore, China’s performance in modern pentathlon, shooting, and wushu demonstrated their early dominance in the Games. Swimming, a highly anticipated highlight of the Asian Games, featured prominently, with several finals scheduled for later in the day at the Hangzhou Olympic Centre Aquatic Sports Arena. China is expected to shine in this discipline as well.
In the morning heats, triple breaststroke world champion Qin Haiyang outperformed Olympic gold medallist Wang Shun, securing the fastest qualification time for the men’s 200m individual medley final.
The swimming arena also witnessed Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Zhang Yufei from China delivering a dominant performance in the 200m butterfly, securing a comfortable lead of over three seconds ahead of her compatriot Yu Liyan and Japan’s Airi Mitsui.
The Asian Games continued to captivate audiences across a wide range of sports, including cricket, boxing, rugby sevens, hockey, and eSports, which made its debut as a full Asian Games medal event, attracting stars like South Korea’s “Faker.”
The Games were officially opened by President Xi Jinping on Saturday night. With over 12,000 participants representing 45 nations and territories, the Asian Games boast more competitors than the Olympics, with 40 sports contested across 54 venues. While the majority of events are held in Hangzhou, some sports are taking place in cities as far south as Wenzhou, adding to the grandeur of this remarkable sporting spectacle.
