Asian Games 2023 swimming: People's Republic of China continue pool domination as Republic of Korea clinch first swim golds
Hosts China continued to show their strength in Asian Games swimming competitions on Monday 25 September, but were beaten by Republic of Korea swimmers in two events. Discover what happened in Hangzhou.
Swimming
The paying public went home happy from the second night of swimming events at the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou on Monday (25 September) as hosts People's Republic of China took four of the seven gold medals on offer and Hong Kong China also claimed one, while the Republic of Korea took their first two gold medals in the pool.
The loudest cheers of the evening were reserved for Qin Haiyang in the men's 100m breaststroke, as the heavy favourite came within a tenth of his own Asian record en route to dominating a fast final.
One of the fastest men off the blocks, Qin split a scarcely believable 26.69 over the first length before powering home to the win in 57.79 seconds, setting a new Asian Games record.
His teammate Yan Zibei took silver in 59.09, while Republic of Korea's Choi Dongyeol was third in 59.28.
"My form is quite similar to what it was at the world championships," Qin said later. "I’m trying out some new race strategies. I’m more aggressive in the first half of my swims, going faster."
Yu surges to women's 200m medley gold ahead of packed field
One of the more intriguing races came in the women's 200m individual medley, albeit with the same end result: Chinese gold.
In a stacked race which included defending champion and Games record holder Kim Seo-yeong (Republic of Korea), Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Ohashi Yui (Japan), Asian record holder and London 2012 Olympic champion Ye Shiwen (China), and teenage phenom Narita Mio (Japan), it was the hosts' Yu Yiting who led at every turn in lane five.
Yu was ahead through the first 75 metres or so before Kim, swimming in the outermost lane one, closed in on her and appeared to briefly edge in front on the backstroke leg. But Yu still turned in the lead, and from there Yu never looked back, touching home in a new Games record 2:07.75, within two-tenths of Ye's Asian record.
Ye, who set her best mark at London 2012, then mounted a late surge to pip Kim at the line by just two one-hundredths of a second, clocking 2:10.34. Kim took bronze in 2:10.36.
After leaving the pool, Yu and Ye clasped hands and bowed to the crowd, eliciting loud cheers.
"We compete in so many events together, so we’re really like family, doing everything together," Yu explained. “We just encourage each other in the call room and set each other a target of taking the gold and silver medals.
“She is a great role model for me. Her Asian record is right there displayed on the screen when we race. [I could learn from] her love and passion for swimming, that’s something I maybe lack a little of.”
Men's 4x200m freestyle relay Asian record from non-textile era falls
The evening concluded with a three-way head-to-head between the men's 4x200m freestyle relay teams of China, the Republic of Korea, and Japan – with a rematch between Pan Zhanle and Hwang Sun-woo, anchoring the Chinese and South Korean teams respectively.
It was Japan who led early through lead-off man Mano Hidenari, who held the advantage through the first 120 metres or so before China's Wang Shun moved ahead.
China would hold the lead at the first change, but the Republic of Korea's Lee Ho-joon moved to the front just shy of 300m and, along with Kim Woo-min and Hwang, gave his team an insurmountable lead.
At the end Hwang was time-trialling to the line, with both the Asian Games record and indeed the continental Asian record within his reach. And he duly touched home in 7:01.73, breaking the latter mark – which had stood since the 2009 World Championships, from the non-textile suit era – by around half a second and sending his teammates wild with delight.
Other winners on the day were Siobhán Haughey (Hong Kong China, women's 200m freestyle), Xu Jiayu (China, men's 50m backstroke), Wang Xue'er (China, women's 50m backstroke), and Ji Yuchan (Republic of Korea, men's 50m freestyle).