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China leaves mark on Asian Games

Taiwan's Chen Shao-chi shows off her moves during the women's changquan wushu competition at the Asian Games in Doha on Thursday. PHOTO: AFP

There was doping. There was a death. There were more medals and more countries than ever before. And there was no stopping the Chinese.

Tiny Qatar's effort to prove that the Arab world is ready to host the Olympics came to a close on Friday as the 15-day Asian Games, the biggest sporting event in the world's most populous continent, wrapped up with an unexpected bonus: the host meeting Iraq in the soccer final, the one event nearly everyone here watches.

Just about everywhere else, however, the games were a celebration of Chinese prowess and possibly a harbinger of things to come when Beijing hosts the 2008 Olympics.

The Chinese claimed 165 of the 428 golds. The closest competitors were South Korea, with just 58, and Japan with 50.

"I think the Chinese dominance of the games should serve as an impetus for the rest of us to work harder," conceded Tsutomu Hayashi, the head of the Japanese delegation. "There is much for us to learn."

From the track to the pool to the beach volleyball courts, the Chinese demonstrated yet again that they are by far the strongest sports power in Asia.

China did so with an often young team that they are cultivating for the 2008 Olympics.

China brought the largest team to the Asian Games -- 647 athletes.

Of those, 413 were participating in their first major multi-sport games and averaged just 23.3 years old.

Liu Xiang, the world record-holder in the 110m hurdles, headlined China's athletics team.

But he didn't need to shine, breezing to an easy victory in 13.15 seconds for an Asian Games record, nearly half a second slower than his world mark of 12.88.

China had a harder time in the pool, where it had to split the golds with Japan, and South Korea proved strong in the team sports, defeating Chinese opponents in field hockey and volleyball.

In the lesser known sports, the Chinese also allowed others a moment in the limelight. India, for example, won in the tag-like game of kabaddi.

Elsewhere, the Chinese juggernaut was nearly invincible, ending Japan's 20-year dominance in judo and putting a stop to its undefeated status in synchronized swimming as well.

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