Saudi wins 2nd gold as Chinese fire dims
Saudi wins 2nd gold as Chinese fire dims
JAKARTA (JP): Saudi Arabian middle-distance runner Saad Shadad
Al-Ashmari Al-Mozazae completed a golden double on the third day
of the 11th Asian Track and Field Championships here yesterday.
Al-Ashmari made a brilliant debut in the 5,000-meter race,
setting the pace throughout to clock the best time of 14 minutes
and 1.43 seconds. His second victory, in addition to his 3,000m
steeplechase win on the opening day of the meet, helped his team
move up a place to the fifth behind Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan reaped two golds, while Qatar, Chinese Taipei and
South Korea took one apiece to hand the all-conquering Chinese
their first gold medal drought in the championships.
The Chinese, however, resumed their athletic dominance over
the continent with a haul of 10 golds, five silvers and three
bronzes after the third day yesterday, thanks to their female
athletes. South Korea trailed far behind with two golds and three
silvers.
Al-Ashmari led a pack of struggling contenders, including
defending champion Bahadur Prasad of India, during the stiffest
race of the day. Marly Sopyev of Turkmenistan, the 10,000m gold
medalist, closely marked the Saudian, but fell ran out of steam
in the final sprint.
Sopyev finished more than one and a half seconds behind Al-
Ashmari to take the silver. The bronze went to Xia Fengyuan of
China, who ran 14:07.99.
"I'm very very happy. It was my first 5,000m race but I just
won it," an elated 28-year-old Saudian said. "I missed only the
record due to the heat," he added. Al-Ashmari's time was far off
Prasad's two-year-old meet record of 13:41.70.
Al-Ashmari, the world championships' 3,000m steeplechase
bronze medalist, said he was hoping to improve his new discipline
in the world Grand Prix tournaments next year.
With the championships half over, Chinese 10,000m female
walker Feng Haixa and South Korean men's high jumper Lee Jin-taek
brought the record-breaking streak to six.
Feng set a new record in a race that saw half of the
competitors outclass Chinese Gao Hongmiao's two-year-old meet
record of 47:08.98.
China strolled to a gold-silver show, with Feng clocking
45:58.76 to lead her compatriot Wang Liping by 21.07 seconds.
Yuka Kamioka of Japan took the bronze. Maiia Sozonova of
Kazakhstan joined the record spree but no medal was awarded to
the fourth finisher.
Despite the abundance of records, the 10,000m-walk world mark
of 42:46.70 set by another Chinese Cui Yingzi in 1992 remains
intact.
Li Lei gave China its second gold of the day when she threw
60.48 meters in the javelin.
South Korea's Lee closed the third day with another record-
breaking feat when he leapt 2.32 meters to cut the 13-year-old
mark set by Zhu Jianhua of China by just one centimeter.
Kazakhstan took two golds through heptathlete Svetlana Kazania
and female long jumper Elena Pershina. Qatar dominated the men's
400m hurdles, with Mobarak Al-Nubi winning the gold and teammate
Ali Ismail grabbing the silver. (amd)
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