Thai sprinter Puripol breaks own Asian Games record to win 100m gold

NAGOYA: Thailand's Puripol Boonson broke his own Asian Games record to win gold in the men's 100m in 9.90 seconds in Nagoya on Friday.

China's Chen Yujie won the women's 100m in a Games-record 11.06sec to relegate the Hangzhou gold medallist, Singapore's Shanti Pereira (11.21), to the silver. Bahrain's Edidiong Odiong took bronze in 11.33.

The 20-year-old Puripol's semi-final run of 9.91sec had eclipsed the 9.92 sec by China's Su Bingtian at the 2018 edition in Jakarta.

But the Thai shaved another 100th off that in the final to finish well clear of the Omani pair of Ali Al-Balushi (10.04) and Malham Al-Balushi (10.11).

Puripol's and Chen's exploits were watched by a sparse crowd with the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium only about a quarter full.

It was Thailand's first men's 100m gold medal since Suchart Jairsuraparp won on home soil at the 1978 Bangkok Games.

Bahrain's Birhanu Balew won his fourth Asian Games gold medal when he crossed the line first in the men's 10,000 metres in 28min 27.51sec.

The Ethiopian-born distance runner added to his 5,000m golds in Jakarta 2018 and Hangzhou three years ago, where he also won the 10,000m.

Now he will chase a fifth Asian Games gold in the 5,000 metres on Tuesday.

"I think that after the 5,000 metres, Inshallah, I will get another gold medal, the fifth," said Balew who won the Diamond League 5,000m title this year.-AFP