On the opening day of the Asian Games, Chinese swimmer Pan Zhanle made history by becoming the first Asian athlete to break the 47-second barrier in the 100-metre freestyle event, with an exceptional time of 46.97 seconds.
This outstanding performance, which ranks as the fifth-fastest ever, has solidified his position as a leading contender for the blue-riband event at the Paris Olympics, a year from now.
Despite his achievement, the 19-year-old prodigy was disappointed with his performance, expressing his regret at missing the world record by a mere 0.11 seconds.
Pan considers the Asian record to be a mere stepping stone, and he is determined to break the world record, which is currently held by another 19-year-old swimmer, Romanian David Popovici.
The first day of the swimming competition was dominated by China, who won all seven titles in the pool, as well as 20 of the 31 gold medals across all competitions.
One of the standout performances of the night came from Wang Shun, the Olympic men’s 200 metres individual medley (IM) champion, who lit the cauldron at the Games’ spectacular opening ceremony.
Wang’s time of one minute 54.62 seconds for the 200 IM gold in Hangzhou made him the third-fastest swimmer in the event after Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps.
Olympic 200-metre butterfly champion Zhang Yufei also easily won her pet event, posting an Asian Games record of two minutes 05:57 seconds, achieving her goal of taking the gold medal for China and breaking her compatriot Jiao Liuyang’s Games record.
North Korea celebrated its return to major competition with a medal in judo, with 24-year-old judoka Chae Kwangjin securing a bronze playoff in the 60-kg division.
Chae then pulled off a double-leg take-down (morote-gari) of Mongolia’s Ariunbold Enkhtaivan to secure the minor medal, putting his nation back on the map.
North Korea’s presence at the Games is significant, given that it is their first international multi-sport event since the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and an International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspension.
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The North Korean flag was hoisted during the medals ceremony, and the nation’s athletes paraded behind it at the opening ceremony, despite being banned from all major international competitions except the Olympics due to anti-doping issues.
With their nations still technically at war, North and South Korean athletes are no longer marching together or competing under one flag.
However, Chae shared an unsmiling handshake with South Korean runner-up Lee Harim after they received their medals.
The Games involve 12,400 athletes from 45 nations competing for 481 gold medals across a vast programme of 40 sports.
Esports made its debut as a medal event, drawing young fans to watch teams of gamers duel in virtual soccer and “Arena of Valor,” a multiplayer battle arena game developed for mobile phones.
Cricket’s return to the Games has been a coup for organisers, with India bringing men’s and women’s teams for the first time.
India’s women thrashed Bangladesh in the semi-finals by eight wickets to book a gold-medal decider against Sri Lanka on Monday.
China has gone to great lengths to ensure a smooth event, its first major sporting competition since the country ended its “zero-COVID” policy in late 2022.
Despite diplomatic tensions undermining the organisers’ narrative of a harmonious gathering of nations, the Games have been a resounding success so far.
India, however, was disappointed with a visa issue that prevented three of its athletes from competing in wushu, the Chinese martial art.
The OCA said it was “looking into” the politically charged issue with local organisers, but it was little comfort for India’s wushu team, who lamented the trio’s absence.
The Asian Games have proven to be a compelling showcase of athletic prowess, cultural exchange, and international diplomacy, and fans worldwide are eagerly anticipating the events yet to come.
