Puripol Boonson wins the 200m at the Asian Games (© Getty Images)
Incessant rain may have disrupted the middle days of the Asian Games athletics programme at Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium in Nagoya, but it did little to dampen the performances on Super Sunday.
Thai sprinter Puripol Boonson once again provided the biggest highlight, completing the sprint double with an Asian record-equalling 19.88 in the men’s 200m.
Having already won the 100m in a Games record of 9.90, Boonson signalled his intent in the 200m by clocking 20.10 in the preliminary round, also a Games record.
His start in the final was relatively moderate, but he accelerated strongly around the bend before powering clear down the home straight. He stopped the clock at 19.88, matching the Asian record set by China’s Xie Zhenye in 2019.
Boonson finished well clear of China’s Huang Youwen, who took silver in 20.45, while Japan’s Soshi Mizukubo earned bronze in 20.56.
China’s Yan Ziyi produced another of the standout performances of the programme, dominating the women’s javelin with a Games record of 70.46m.
The world U20 record-holder was nearly eight metres clear of Japan’s Olympic champion Haruka Kitaguchi, who took silver with 62.70m.
World and Olympic champion Winfred Yavi also completed a golden double, adding the women’s 3000m steeplechase title to the 10,000m crown she had won earlier in the Games.
The Bahraini prevailed in a high-quality tactical contest, clocking a Games record of 9:04.36 to finish ahead of Kazakhstan’s 2022 world champion Norah Jeruto, who ran 9:06.82, and India’s Parul Chaudhary, the 2023 Asian Games silver medallist, who clocked 9:08.67.
Bahrain’s success continued with Nelly Korir in the women’s 1500m and Salwa Eid Naser in the 400m. Both won in Games record times, Korir clocking 4:04.50 and Naser 49.20.
There was also a landmark victory for Thailand in the men’s 400m as Joshua Atkinson claimed the country’s first Asian Games title in the event, clocking 44.90. Abdulrahman Suleiman of the United Arab Emirates pushed him close but had to settle for silver in 44.99.
In the women’s 200m, Singapore’s Shanti Pereira successfully defended the title she won in Hangzhou. China’s 100m champion Chen Yujie was quickest away, while Pereira and India’s Harita Bhadra made slower starts. Pereira, however, surged to the front in the second half of the race and held off Chen to win in 22.78. Chen took silver in 22.93, while Bhadra earned bronze in 23.20.
Several other Games records fell in the field events. Iran’s Mohammadreza Tayebisefat won the men’s shot put with a Games record of 20.81m, denying India’s Tajinderpal Singh Toor (20.64m) a third successive title. China’s Su Wen set a Games record of 17.42m to win the men’s triple jump.
Japan’s Mako Fukube won the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.74, while China’s Chen Yuanjiang took the men’s 110m hurdles title in 13.15. Japan’s Rachid Muratake finished second in 13.29.
The men’s high jump produced an upset following the late withdrawal of Asian record-holder Mutaz Essa Barshim. Korea’s two-time Asian Games silver medallist Woo Sanghyeok had been expected to challenge strongly for gold but finished third with 2.22m. Chinese Taipei’s Fu Chao-Hsuan took the title, while India’s Sarvesh Anil Kushare earned silver after clearing 2.25m.
Japanese decathlete Yuma Maruyama upgraded the bronze medal he won in Hangzhou to gold in Nagoya, scoring 8123. China’s Chen Xinghua took silver (8012), while India’s overnight leader and 2023 Asian Games silver medallist Tejaswin Shankar finished third (7934).
Japan’s Hayato Katsuki, boosted by his victory at the World Race Walking Team Championships in Brasilia earlier this year, won the men’s marathon race walk in 3:03:36. China’s Zhou Yingcheng took silver, with Japan’s top-seeded Suwa Mutofumi third.
Kazakhstan’s Yasmina Toxanbayeva won the women’s race, although the official results remained subject to a protest concerning shoe specifications.
There was also drama in the men’s marathon, where Japan’s Ichitaka Yamashita and India’s Sawan Barwal were locked together until the closing stages. Barwal, competing in only his second marathon after breaking a 48-year-old national record earlier this year, remained with Yamashita until 40km before the Japanese runner edged clear.
Yamashita won in 2:10:49, while Barwal improved to 2:11:37 for silver, earning India its first Asian Games medal in the event for 44 years.
Ram. Murali Krishnan for World Athletics
