China widen medal lead
Paul Eckert
Rivals China and Japan took three swimming golds each as the Chinese increased their total medal haul to just shy of 100 and reached the quarter-finals of the soccer tournament at the Asian Games on Thursday.
Host nation South Korea and Thailand joined China in the last eight of the soccer after all three enjoyed comfortable victories in the 24-team event restricted to under-23s.
South Korea beat Malaysia 4-0 to top group A, Thailand overcame the United Arab Emirates 3-1 to win group B and China saw off India 2-0 to take first in group C.
South Korea and Thailand will play the best two runners-up in the quarter-finals, while China are likely to face Japan, who lead group D by three points and have the best goal difference ahead of their last match against Uzbekistan on Saturday.
China finished day four in Busan with 58 golds, well on their way to their projected 150 titles in the two-week Games. Japan was in second with 20 golds, followed by South Korea on 15 and Kazakhstan with four titles.
In the Sajik pool, China shared the spoils with Japan as both teams won three finals apiece, leaving the Chinese with a 13-9 lead over their fierce rivals in the swimming gold medal standings with just two days remaining.
THRILLING FINISH
World record holder Qi Hui was pushed all the way by Chinese team-mate Luo Xuejuan in the 200 metres breaststroke, but prevailed in a thrilling finish to win her second gold medal.
China's Chen Zuo also came from behind to win the men's 100 freestyle in 50.76 seconds to prevent countryman Liu Yu from completing a gold medal double.
China's one-day haul of 36 gold medals from gymnastics to judo included a world record in women's weightlifting. Liu Xia set a world mark in the 63kg women's clean and jerk, lifting 135.5kg to surpass Ukrainian Nataliya Skakun's record of 135kg.
In the women's all-round gymnastics, 16-year-old Zhang Nan from China took the gold, with 37.025 points, besting Uzbek veteran Oskana Chusovitina, who took the silver with 36.40.
Contests between South and North Korea -- where symbolism is as important as results -- saw the North's women upset the South 3-1 in softball, while the South beat the North 101-85 in an emotionally charged quarter-final group basketball game.
FEEL-GOOD FACTOR
The South's basketballers have never lost to the North in six outings, but fans said the feel-good factor was more important.
South Korean fans embraced North Korea, who are taking part in an international sporting event hosted by the South for the first time after a series of boycotts, including the 1986 Asian Games, the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the World Cup this summer.
North Korea are fifth in the medal table with three golds.
On the final day of judo at the Games, Japan's Kayo Kitada won the gold in the women's 48kg final, bringing to seven the number of titles for the Japanese judo team.
China's Tong Wen beat Japan's Maki Tsukada to win the open category gold, bringing China's women's judo gold tally to three.
The men's open gold went to Japan's Kosei Inoue, who edged Abdullo Tangriev of Uzbekistan. Iran got its first gold in Pusan with judoka Hajlakhondzadeh Masoud winning the men's 60kg title.
(Additional reporting by Ken Ferris and Alastair Himmer)
