Wed, Dec 06, 2006 page18

• Asian Games: China, Japan stay firmly on top

  UNSTOPPABLE FORCE Although Japan is now overshadowing China in the pool, the PRC is still well on its way to matching its total of 150 golds from 2002

  • AP AND DPA
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  Japanese swimmer Kosuke Kitajima won another breaststroke race and a Chinese gymnast claimed the all-around title, maintaining the status quo on Monday at the Asian Games.

  Kitajima, who won the 100m and 200m breaststroke double at the Athens Olympics, defended his Asian Games title over 100m on Monday in a time of 1 minute, 1.13 seconds, nearly two seconds outside his Asian record.

  World champion Yang Wei won the all-around gymnastics title, extending the winning streak for China in that event to eight Asian Games dating back to 1978.

  

  North Korea gymnast Hong Su-jong performs in the women's Artistic Gymnastics Individual All-Round final at Aspire Center at the 15th Asian Games in Doha on Monday.

  PHOTO: AFP

  "I think it was relatively easy for me, I was in a good mood today," Yang said.

  He Ning and Zhou Zhuoru finished first and second in the women's competition to continue China's resurgence in a sport it has traditionally dominated in Asia.

  Earlier, Olympic champion weightlifter Pawina Thongsuk bettered the clean-and-jerk world record in the 63kg class set by Russian Svetlana Shimkova by 1kg. Pawina lifted 142kg to improve Shimkova's record of 141kg set at Wladyslawowo, Poland earlier this year.

  Li Hongli won gold in the men's 77kg class to give China its eighth of a possible nine weightlifting titles contested so far at the games -- Pawina is the only one outside China to grab gold.

  China continued to dominate in the standings, picking up nine more gold medals Monday on the third official day of competition. It has 38 golds, 69 overall and is well on its way to matching its total of 150 golds from 2002.

  South Korea's impressive equestrian record continued when it won the team dressage event for the fourth time in the last five games.

  Team member Suh Jung-kyun's gold was his sixth at the Asian Games in his career. He had previously won gold medals in 1986 and 1998 -- both team and individual -- and in 2002 (team), making him the most successful rider in the history of the games.

  Taiwan stayed on track for a baseball gold medal showdown with Japan. Third baseman Chang Tai-shan and designated hitter Chen Chin-feng hit solo home runs to lead Taiwan to a 4-2 victory over China.

  Japan, the World Baseball Classic champion, and Taiwan meet on Thursday in the final round-robin game in the tournament, with the winner to take gold.

  "We're relaxed now and not thinking about the game," Taiwan relief pitcher Keng Po-hsuan said of the gold-medal matchup. "But we're good enough to win it all."

  Ali Harem won the first medal -- a bronze -- for war-ravaged Iraq in 77kg weightlifting. It was Iraq's first medal at the Asian Games in 20 years.

  In the swimming pool the day belonged to Japan as Kosuke Kitajima (men's 100m breaststroke), Yano Yuri (women's 200m butterfly), Ryosuke Irie (men's 200m backstroke) and the men's 4x200m freestyle relay picked up gold.

  China's Zhao Jing won the 50m women's backstroke, while Yang Jiegiao took the gold in the 400m women's freestyle.

  The final gold medal of the day went to German-born Rafd Almasri, who swims for Syria, who was the surprise winner in the 50m freestyle after defending champion Kim Min-suk had crashed out in the heats.

  Off the competition fields, a high-ranking Indian official confirmed that discus thrower Seema Antil failed a doping test conducted by the World Anti-Doping Agency during a team training camp in the leadup to the Asian Games.

  Antil, 23, the Commonwealth Games silver medalist, failed a test in Muscat, Oman, and was sent home last week, the official told the press.

  The official did not confirm the substance involved or where the sample was sent for validating, but did add that no other Indian athletes had failed tests in Oman.

  Antil, who was stripped of her 2000 junior world championships title after testing positive for a banned stimulant, was part of a group of athletes sent to Oman last month to prepare for the Games.
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