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November 14, 2010

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Yuan kicks off China's gold rush

NO prizes for guessing who won the first gold medal of the Guangzhou Asian Games: the script was well choreographed for Yuan Xiaochao and China.

And that was just Act 1.

Wushu, the Chinese martial arts, offered the first of 28 gold medals yesterday and two-time world champion Yuan Xiaochao obliged by winning the changquan discipline in confident style before 10am on the first day of competition.

The Chinese won 18 of the next 27 finals, including all five in dance sport's Asian Games debut, five of six on the shooting range, four of six in the pool, two each at both weightlifting and wushu and the men's team event at artistic gymnastics.

China has 28 medals overall, with 18 gold.

Japan and South Korea picked up four gold medals apiece, with Lee Waisze of China's Hong Kong winning the first cycling medal, setting an Asian record time of 33.945 seconds to take gold in the women's 500-meter time trial in an upset result over defending champion Guo Shuang of China.

There are 35 finals scheduled for today, day two of competition.

The scene for the opening day was set early with the 22-year-old Yuan, an avid Bruce Lee and Jet Li fan who harbors ambitions of working in a kung-fu movie. But just not for the time being.

"I feel very lucky to be able to compete for China's first gold medal ... very happy to get that first gold medal," he said. "The win has a significant meaning for me."

Japan, third in the medal count at Doha, picked up gold and silver in the women's triathlon - the first gold medal contested outdoors at Guangzhou - with Mariko Adachi leading teammate Akane Tsuchihashi across the finish line in 2 hours, 5 minutes, 45 seconds.

Japan and China shared the honors in the pool at Doha. So far this time, China leads 4-2. Takeshi Matsuda won the 200-meter butterfly and Yuya Morihata the 400 individual medley for Japan.

Japan was expected to dominate judo, but South Koreans won three golds on the mats on the first of four days of competition.

South Korea had earlier collected its first gold of the games at shooting, winning the 50-meter pistol men's team even with 1,679 points to open the program.

That was a standout at the range, where Chinese shooter Yi Siling became the first multiple gold medalist of the games by winning the women's 10-meter air rifle and the 10-meter air rifle team title.


 

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