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September 29, 2014

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Qatar鈥檚 Ogunode sets new Asian record in blistering 100m victory

QATAR’S Femi Ogunode, returning from a doping ban, broke the 10-second mark at the Asian Games for the first time, splashing his way through the rain to 100 meters gold yesterday.

On a day when China smashed through the 100 gold medal mark, and second-placed South Korea put daylight between itself and Japan, Ogunode blasted out of the blocks and motored home ahead of China’s Su Bingtian and Japan’s Kei Takase.

China’s Zhang Peimeng came up short again in his quest to become the first Asian sprinter to break the 10-second barrier, finishing fourth in 10.18.

Originally from Nigeria, Ogunode won the 200-400 double four years ago and is going for the 100-200 in Incheon.

While his task was made easier by the withdrawal of Japan’s Yoshihide Kiryu due to injury, his time of 9.93 seconds in atrocious conditions confirmed his status as Asia’s fastest man.

“I had always confidence in myself,” he told a news conference. “I don’t know what to say. So grateful and so happy. After four months of training, I am now looking forward to going back home to meet my family.”

Ogunode returned in January from a two-year ban for using clenbuterol and he said he was hungry for more success in next year’s world championships and the 2016 Olympics.

In the women’s blue riband sprint, China’s Wei Yongli pipped Japan’s Chisato Fukushima by a hundredth of a second, with Kazakh Olga Safronova third.

“This is my first win in a big competition like this and I’ve been waiting a long time. It’s really moving,” said Wei, whose personal best is 11.29 and who won in Incheon in 11.48.

China clinched four other athletics titles yesterday — the men’s and women’s 20-kilometer race walk, women’s hammer and men’s pole vault.

Bahrain’s Ruth Jebet finally got her gold medal after her disqualification from the women’s steeplechase the previous night was overturned.

The Kenyan-born 17-year-old had momentarily stepped off the track during her run at the Asiad Main Stadium and was then stunningly stripped of her gold medal while waiting for the prize-giving ceremony and had to be led away in tears.

However, reviews later showed that her infraction had not impeded any of her competitors and the decision was reversed, allowing Jebet to stand atop the podium at a rearranged ceremony yesterday.

“I was quite shocked because I wasn’t even aware of the mistake,” she said. “I’m happy to become a gold medalist because I had a problem yesterday. But I fought for my king.”

After nine days of competition, China is out of sight at the top of the table on 105 golds.

South Korea, a runner-up at the last four Games, looks likely to do so again after finishing the day with 42 golds, eight more than Japan.

The Northeast Asian rivals went head-to-head in the quarterfinals of the men’s soccer tournament yesterday, with the host coming out on top 1-0 after scoring a late penalty kick.

South Korean fans also got the baseball gold medal they had been demanding after the hosts capitalized on a late meltdown by Taiwan to score four runs in the eighth inning.

Taiwan’s Lo Chia Jen hit Kang Jung-ho with a pitch in the eighth with the bases loaded to tie the score at 3-3, before Na Sung-bum’s grounder brought across the go-ahead run and Hwang Jae-gyun smacked a two-run single to make it 6-3.

South Korea, which also beat Taiwan in the 2010 final in Guangzhou, has now won four of the six baseball golds since the sport was introduced to the Games in 1994.

Wang Yihan defeated Chinese teammate Li Xuerui 2-1 to win gold in badminton women’s singles. Indonesia won the badminton men’s doubles gold.


 

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