Abderrahman Samba wins the Asian Games title (© AFP / Getty Images)
Continental record-holder Abderrahman Samba made a welcome return to form to win the men’s 400m hurdles at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, while Olympic champions Mutaz Barshim and Neeraj Chopra were also popular winners.
Samba was the world’s standout 400m hurdler back in 2018, enjoying an unbeaten season and clocking an Asian record of 46.98. It opened the floodgates for the slew of sub-47-second performances produced by his contemporaries in the years that followed.
But during that time, the Qatari struggled with injury. Not at his best, he placed third at the 2019 World Championships on home soil in Doha, then missed the 2020 season. He competed sparingly in 2021 but placed fifth at the Olympics in 47.12. He didn’t race again until May this year, but he sat out the World Championships in Budapest, again due to persistent injuries.
In Hangzhou, though, he successfully defended his title with a season’s best of 48.04, the second-fastest winning time ever at the Asian Games behind his own Games record of 47.66 from 2018. Samba led a Qatari 1-2 with compatriot Bassem Hemeida taking silver in 48.52.
“I am very proud of this gold medal,” said Samba. “I went through testing times because of a series of injuries and this victory means a lot to me. I am happy with my run and it’s a great motivation for me for the Paris Olympics.”
Olympic champions Barshim and Chopra impress
Three-time world champion Mutaz Barshim of Qatar defeated Korea’s Woo Sanghyeok in the men’s high jump to claim his third consecutive Asian Games high jump title, equalling his own Games record of 2.35m.
Woo took the silver with 2.33m, followed by Japan’s Tomohiro Shinno, who cleared a season’s best of 2.29m.
"It feels amazing,” said Barshim, whose streak of World Championships victories came to an end in Budapest, where he took bronze. “I competed at my first Asian Games in 2010, but at the 2006 edition I was a volunteer and I held the kit baskets for the high jumpers. Winning my third gold today after a bad injury makes me really happy and satisfied.”
In the men’s javelin, India’s world and Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra shrugged off a hiccup in the opening round to seize the gold with a season’s best of 88.88m.
Officials failed to measure his opening throw correctly, so he retook it and threw 82.38m. He then improved to 84.49m in the next round before unleashing his winning effort in round four. Compatriot Kishore Kumar Jena took silver with a PB of 87.54m.
"I was a little disappointed because it was a good throw, and there was a good wind behind me as well,” Chopra said of his opening effort. "This is the first time this has happened to me in a competition. The rule is for six throws but I threw seven times.”
Kemi Adekoya wrapped up a successful Games by winning her third and fourth gold medals.
Having earned gold in the 400m flat and mixed 4x400m earlier in the week, the Bahraini won her specialist event, the 400m hurdles, in a Games record of 54.45, then contributed to Bahrain’s triumph in the women’s 4x400m, clocking another Games record of 3:27.65. India was a close second in 3:27.85.
Adekoya’s teammate Birhanu Balew was another multiple winner. Four days after winning the 10,000m title, the 27-year-old set a Games record of 13:17.40 to take victory in the 5000m on Wednesday.
Hosts China added five more gold medals on the final two days of stadium action to lead the medals table with 18 gold.
Olympic silver medallist Zhu Yaming leaped 17.22m to win the men’s triple jump, while 2012 Olympic champion Qieyang Shijie led China to victory in the 35km race walk mixed team event. China also won the men’s and women’s 4x100m crowns.
Elsewhere, India clocked 3:01.58 to win the men’s 4x400m, while 18-year-old Tharushi Karunarathna of Sri Lanka clocked 2:03.20 to win the women’s 800m, earning her country’s first gold medal of the Games in any sport.
Vincent Wu for World Athletics
