More teen magic in Asian Games pool as Kojima thrills Japan

NAGOYA – At an Asian Games pool entranced by China’s 13-year-old Yu Zidi, host Japan hailed its own teen prodigy on Tuesday as Yumeki Kojima powered to medley gold in a swim that made French great Leon Marchand sit up and take notice.

The 17-year-old Kojima’s triumph in the men’s 400-meter individual medley set a Games record of 4 minutes, 7.02 seconds at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, topping the 12-year-old mark of Kosuke Hagino, one of Japan’s favorite swimming sons.

World record holder Marchand was at the pool giving a swimming clinic for local children but Kojima hopes one day to school the four-time Olympic champion.

“Marchand is the athlete I’m aiming for the most. I want to close the gap on him little by little and, one day, be able to beat him,” said Kojima, who also rewrote his world junior record.

Highlighted by schoolgirl Yu’s two individual golds, China has dominated the pool at the Aichi-Nagoya Games, and it continued in that vein on Day 3 of full competition.

Peng Xuwei grabbed another title for the swimming superpower in the women’s 200m backstroke in an Asian record 2:05.77 to smash the previous mark (2:06.46) set by compatriot Zhao Jing.

Shooting world record

China may struggle to match its record of 201 golds from its home Games in Hangzhou three years ago but record-breaking shooters Sheng Lihao and Wang Zifei won’t be to blame.

Olympic champion Sheng claimed his third gold at Nagoya alongside Wang in the 10m air rifle mixed team event as they combined for a world-record score of 507.1.

Sheng, a double gold medalist at Hangzhou, had already swept the individual and men’s team titles in the 10m air rifle earlier in the competition.

Afghanistan celebrated a maiden cycling medal won by a woman who once disguised herself as a man when training in the nation and ultimately fled the Taliban when they returned to power.

Fariba Hashimi said her silver behind China’s Guo Li in the road event showed the resilience of Afghan women.

“I hope that the next generation will come here and represent their country without any fear,” said the Italy-based cyclist.

“They took away our freedom, they took away everything from us.”

India’s wait for a first gold medal ended on Tuesday as its women’s team crushed Sri Lanka by 147 runs to claim the T20 title, led by 79 from veteran opener Smriti Mandhana. Pakistan beat Bangladesh for bronze.

India will be backed for the men’s gold as well but the team nearly fell to a stunning defeat in a rain-hit T20 against Japan on the Games’ sidelines.

With the match reduced to five overs per side, Japan fell two runs short of an historic upset.

“Honestly speaking, it was a very difficult wicket to bat on,” said India captain Shreyas Iyer, India’s only batter to reach double figures (16).

Logistics problems

Outside the competition venues, organizers were on the defensive over accommodation and logistics problems that blighted the event’s buildup.

South Korea’s team chef de mission said athletes had paid the price for cost-cutting measures in a rebuke of the Games’ management.

An Aichi-Nagoya organizing committee official apologized.

A South Korean media report said two members of North Korea’s 180-strong Asian Games delegation in Japan were looking to seek asylum, citing a source from Japan’s Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office.

Asian Games organizers did not provide immediate comment.

China’s teenage phenomenon Yu is set to return to the pool on Day 4 on Wednesday in pursuit of a third individual title in the 400m medley, while host Japan faces a gymnastics showdown with China for the men’s and women’s team golds.