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China sweeps opening athletics events
(AFP)
Updated: 2005-11-02 09:19
Bao Guiying has led a clean sweep for China of the East Asian Games' opening athletics events, with victory in the women's 10,000m.
Bao Guiying [Xinhua] |
Bao, understudy to Olympic champion Xing Huina who is racing in the 5,000m, burst up the final straight to clock 32 minutes, 35.07 seconds, beating Hiromi Ominami of Japan by one-and-a-half seconds.
North Korean bronze medallist Paek Hyan-gok crossed the line more than two minutes later in 34:53.06 as China, which has dominated the opening days of competition, snatched all four morning athletics golds.
Li Meiju set the ball rolling with an 18.12-metre shot-put which was enough to win the women's competition, despite falling well below her personal best of 19.05m.
"I feel tired from the Chinese National Games and I am not in my best shape," commented Li, who won the event with her first throw.
Yoko Toyonaga of Japan was second with 16.89m and China's Liu Yingfan took bronze.
Jing Xuezhu edged team-mate Zhen Xingjuan in the women's high jump with a superior faults record after both jumped 1.85m.
Japan's Mai Yonezu and Park Jin-hee of South Korea shared bronze after clearing 1.70m.
Meanwhile Wu Tao hurled the discus 61.74m to win the men's competition ahead of compatriot Tulake Nuermaimaiti's 59.27m. South Korea's Choi Jong-bum was well back in third with 54.19m.
The mini morning gold-rush moved China on to a tally of 35 gold medals of a possible 50 so far. Host Macau has the second-highest number with seven while South Korea has four.
China has brought its biggest ever squad, including 11 Athens Olympics gold-medallists and a host of younger talent, as it bids to top the medals table at the next Olympics in Beijing.
Double Olympic champion Guo Jingjing looked set to add to her 1m springboard diving gold in the women's 3m synchronised springboard later on Tuesday, when she will team up with Athens partner Li Ting.
China has won all but one of the opening six diving events and will hope to continue its unbeaten run in the weightlifting, with the women's 68kg and men's 77kg and 85kg due to be decided later.
About 1,900 athletes are competing for 234 gold medals in 17 sports at the fourth East Asian Games, the biggest tournament ever held in this autonomous southern Chinese territory.
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