Ogunode sets record in 100m win

Qatar’s Femi Ogunode set a continental 100m record of 9.93 seconds at the Asian Games, firmly indicating his determination to contend for an Olympic podium appearance two years from now in Rio.

China’s Su Bingtian took silver at 10.10 and Japan’s Kei Takase third at 10.15, while 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.

Medals table (Top-5)

		G	S	B	Total
1	China	105	63	48	216
2	S Korea	42	48	47	137
3	Japan	34	46	46	126
4	Kazakhstan	9	11	20	40
5	North Korea	8	8	9	25

“I don’t even know what to say, I’m so grateful and happy,” said Ogunode, who has been training on his own in Doha without a coach for the last five months.

“I have confidence in myself, I can challenge anybody,” the 23-year-old former boxer said.

“I see myself winning the Olympic gold.”

At the halfway mark of the 16-day competition, Japanese freestyle wrestler Saori Yoshida won her fourth consecutive Asian Games gold in the women’s 55kg class, while in baseball defending champion South Korea downed Taiwan 6-3.

China’s Wei Yongli won gold in the women’s 100m in 11.48, forcing defending champion Chisato Fukushima of Japan into second place just 0.01 behind. Olga Safronova of Kazakhstan was another 0.01 back in third place.

Saudi Arabia’s Yousef Ahmed Masrahi won the men’s 400m in 44.6 sec, followed by teammate Abbas Abubakar Abbas and India’s Arokiarajiv.

Nigerian-born Oluwakemi Adekoya won the women’s event for Bahrain in 51.59, with Vietnam’s Quach Thi Lan and Poovamma Raju Machettira of India.

Chinese Olympic bronze medalist Zhang Wenxiu won her third consecutive gold in the Asiad women’s hammer throw, with teammate Wang Zheng in second and India’s Bala Manju third.

Wang Yihan defeated Chinese teammate Li Xuerui 2-1 to win gold in badminton women’s singles. Indonesia won the badminton men’s mixed doubles, with Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan downing South Korea’s Yoo Yeon-seong and Lee Yong-dae 2-1.