Zhang returns China's top position at EAG
(AFP)
Updated: 2005-11-03 20:50

Just as Japan's swimmers maneuvered to challenge China's domination of the East Asian Games, Zhang Lin eclipsed the Asian 1,500 freestyle record by nine seconds Wednesday to help quell the threat.

Zhang won in 15 minutes, 00.27 seconds, overhauling South Korea's Park Tae-hwan by 0.05 over the final strokes in a sprint finish.

"I feel this is the best I've ever swum, and I'm very happy with the result," said Zhang. And justifiably so, it erased 10 seconds from his previous best.

Olympic 110-meter hurdles champion Liu Xiang started China's gold medal rush Wednesday, capped a season stacked heavily with competitive and promotional commitments by winning his favored event in 13.21 seconds.

Now he wants to take a breather and reflect on the year he's had since shooting to fame in China with his world record-equaling Olympic win at Athens.

Liu says he's "mentally and physically exhausted" after a taxing year. He'll be back to work quickly, though, with his sights on defending his Olympic title at home in 2008.

China had 72 gold medals after 104 events, adding 24 Wednesday with three results still incomplete. That includes 18 of 24 in athletics and six of nine in the swimming pool.

Japan was the biggest mover Wednesday, climbing from fourth to second place with 10 gold medals and 68 overall.

But it took Japan and South Korea (eight gold and 47 overall) until the fifth day to overhaul Macau on the medal standings in this tiny gambling enclave.

Macau, which had a solitary gold medal from three previous East Asian Games, shared a gymnastics gold medal with China to lift its haul to eight. The hosts had 27 medals in total.

Chinese women set two games records and equaled another in the swimming.

Olympic 100-meter breaststroke champion Luo Xuejuan won the 50 breaststroke in 31.67 seconds and Pang Jiaying won the 100 freestyle in 54.65.

Li Jie's 2:10.26 in the 200 butterfly equaled the record set four years ago.

Japan had three gold after four swimming finals -- including two in the tied women's 200 backstroke between Takami Igarashi and Aya Terakawa -- before China regained control in the pool.

Japan also had four gold in athletics -- including Wednesday's wins from Shinji Takahira in the 200, Koike Takayuki in the 400 hurdles and Kumiko Ikeda in the women's long jump.

In the wake of Tuesday's agreement between North and South Korea to try and form a single team for the 2006 Asian Games and the 2008 Olympics, athletes from the both Koreas prospered in Macau.

For the South, Kim Kun-woo won the decathlon with 7,754 points and Lee Jae-hun took the 800 meters in 1:48.60.

North Korea added three gold medals -- including two in gymnastics -- from Ri Jong Song in men's floor exercise and Kang Yun Mi at the women's vault, and shooter Kim Jong Su in the men's 10-meter air pistol.

There were two ties for gold medals in gymnastics, putting the Chinese mainland in the delicate position of sharing the top podium place with Taiwan when Lu Bo and Taiwan's Lin Yung-hsi both were awarded gold in the rings.

Likewise, China's Xiao Qin tied with China Macau's Xu Wei on the pommel horse, with the duo each scoring 9.800.

Taiwan and North Korea had four gold medals apiece after 104 events. Hong Kong had one gold and seven medals overall, Mongolia had five bronze and Guam was yet to register a medal.

Liu wasn't the only Chinese athlete to admit fatigue.

Wang Liping, the Sydney 2000 Olympic champion, won the women's 20-kilometer walk and said it was most likely her last international appearance.

"It might be my last race, and I will retire after the games," she said. She finished in 1 hour, 34 minutes and 31 seconds and said she was out of energy.

"I feel exhausted. It was a grueling race, but I am happy I survived," she told reporters.

Yi Jianjian, an NBA prospect in Yao Ming's shadow, is having a big impact in Macau, leading China to 5-0 in the basketball preliminaries.

Yi led the scoring with 25 points and had 15 rebounds in the 78-67 win over South Korea.

In other men's prelims, Mongolia beat Macau 76-56 and Taiwan accounted for Japan 89-78.

China clinched its 10th weightlifting title when Cao Li lifted a combined 248 kilograms to win the women's 69-kilogram division. The Chinese gave up chasing a weightlifting sweep by not entering in the men's 94 kg.

South Korea's Lee Ung-jo won that class from compatriot Kim Chul-min.

The Games continues Thursday with 40 gold medals at stake.