Chinese sprinters Xie Zhenye and Ge Manqi have secured 100 metres titles in Hangzhou Olympic Park Stadium with loud cheering from fully packed stands. This sprint double has achieved for the first time in the Games history for China or any other country.
Xie Zhenye has clocked 9.94 in the first instance with a wind-assisted race, then time was adjusted to 9.97, which equals his personal best. Thai’s best hope 17-year-old Puripol Boonson finished 10.02 to grabbing silver ahead of another teenager Mohd Azeem Fahmi from Malaysia who also took a first berth in the 100m podium for South Asian nation after 41 years.
Before the last race of the evening, women’s contest held in the stadium. The final won by less-favorite Chinese Ge Manqi with an enormous acceleration in the last 30 metres. She clocked 11.23 to win but did not realise immediately due to the close finish from Singapore’s Asian champion Veronica Shanti who comes in lane two. Shanti just came second with 11.27 as bring to first athletics medal to the country in 49 years.
Not only close-call for the gold but same for bronze as well at the finish while Bahraini Hajjar Al-Khaldi has outlasted PB making Thai Supanich Poolkerd by 0.006 seconds to grabbed bronze in 100 metres. Al-Khaldi was pouring down some tears in the ground after the finish.
Kemi Adekoya brought one of two golds to Bahrain during day two finals. The double Asian Games winner from 2014 came back to the winning circle by defeating Salwa Eid Nasser 50.66 to 50.92 in 400 metres final. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia’s 36-year-old Youssef Ahmed Masrahi has defeat by inch to fresh Asian Champion Kentaro Sato in men’s 400m final having second Asian Games title after 2014. Now he has 15 Asian senior level medals combined including indoors.
Finally, Philippines long wait ended in the athletics contest. The world silver medallist Ernest Obiena secured 5.90 games record in pole vault and became first male Philippino to win athletics title at the Asian Games in 61 years.
