Asian Games 2023 athletics: Hosts China fastest in men's and women's 100m sprint heats
Chinese sprinter Xie Zhenye clocked fastest time in booking men's semi-final spot, while Ge Manqi sealed her place in the women's final with an Asian lead time.
Athletics
There was cheer for the home fans on Friday (29 September) at the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou as the People's Republic of China's Xie Zhenye qualified for the men's 100m athletics semi-final as the fastest qualifier in 10.07 seconds.
Thailand's Puripol Boonson looked in good shape for his first major 100m event of the season after his 200m SEA Games injury in May, clocking 10.13 to finish second in his heat behind Xie and safely make it through to the semi-finals. That was also the second-fastest time from across the five heats, behind Olympic relay bronze medallist Xie.
Also through to the semis was Indonesia's Lalu Muhammad Zohri, who won his heat in a season best 10.22 – looking closer to his best form and more than three-tenths faster than his previous fastest time this year. Malaysia's Muhammad Azeem bin Mohd Fahmi also won his heat in 10.28 seconds.
Japanese favourites Kiryu Yoshihide and Koike Yuki eased up in their heats but still both secured automatic qualification to the semis.
In the women's 100m heats, the hosts' Ge Manqi was the fastest qualifier in 11.17 seconds, the fastest time run by an Asian this year. With only three heats in the women's event, the races served as a direct qualifier through to the final, with no semi-finals. Asian champion Shanti Pereira of Singapore was the fastest non-automatic qualifier.