Nazarov bags third Asian Games gold

Tajik hammer thrower Dilshod Nazarov extended his run of form with his third consecutive Asian Games gold.

Nazarov won with a throw of 76.82, almost four metres short of his best distance this year, in which he’s had five of his eight best career throws.

Meanwhile, Olympic bronze medalist Gong Lijiao of China took gold in the women’s shot put with a throw of 19.06 meters, nearly 1.5 meters short of the Asian Games record.

Alia Mohammed Saeed Mohammed of the United Arab Emirates won gold in the women’s 10,000m with a personal best of 31:51.86, followed just two seconds behind by Ding Changqin of China with Ayumi Hagiwara of Japan taking bronze.

Japan’s Misaki Sango set an Asiad record in the women’s 3,000 steeplechase, winning in 9:49.85, while Qatar’s Mohamad al Garni did likewise in the men’s 5,000 with 13:26.13.

In other sports, Indonesia’s Greysia Polii and Nitya Maheswari, Asian Games bronze medalists four years ago, won gold women’s badminton doubles by downing Japan’s Ayaka Takahashi and Misaki Matsutomo in straight sets.

Four medals were given out on the first day of the freestyle wrestling competition, with Japan’s Eri Tosaka winning gold in the women’s 48kg class and teammate Rio Watori clinching the 63kg class.

North Korea’s Jong Hak Jin triumphed in the men’s 57kg class and Bekzod Abdurakhmonov won Uzbekistan’s first gold of the games in the 70kg class.