Sun Yang of China wins the men's 1,500m freestyle swimming event during the Asian Games in Guangzhou on Thursday. [Photo/Agencies]

Victorious host dominates medal count but still looks to improve ahead of next year's World Championships and the 2012 Olympics, Lei Lei reports

With 24 gold medals, 16 silver and 14 bronze, the Chinese swimming team overwhelmingly beat archrival Japan (nine gold, 18 silver and 12 bronze) to claim supremacy of the pool at the Asian Games.

However, China's head coach is reluctant to say the host team's swimmers have surpassed those of Japan while the rising Republic of Korea (ROK), which claimed four gold, three silver and six bronze, cannot be ignored.

Related readings:  Age no barrier at Asian Games  Sun Yang wins men's 1500m freestyle gold  China targets Olympic swimming gold rush  Xie Zhi wins men's 50m backstroke at Asian Games

"In Asia, Japan is still stronger than the Chinese team since its average level is higher than us," said Yao Zhengjie, head coach of the Chinese squad. "The Koreans are making quick progress as well. We still have to work hard if we want to achieve good results at the World Championships next year and the London Olympic Games in 2012."

At the Doha Asian Games four years ago, China and Japan claimed 16 gold medals apiece in the pool. The Japanese team also beat China in total number of medals won, 47-44.

In the home pool at the Guangzhou Games, the Chinese women's team overwhelmed the Japanese in gold medals 17-0. The host also showed its rising strength on men's side.

Young Chinese freestyler Sun Yang dominated men's 1,500m freestyle and narrowly missed the world record, but he smashed the Asian record by more than 10 seconds.

The Japanese also surrendered their favorite event, the men's 4x200m freestyle relay.

Since the 4x200m freestyle relay was introduced at the Asian Games in 1954, Japan had swept every title. However, in Guangzhou, a young Chinese team led by Sun and world champion Zhang Lin broke its domination and edged Japan to second.

"On the men's side, we only have the advantage in freestyle," said Yao.

"Before the Asiad, our goal was to win about 20 gold medals, but the Japanese team didn't perform well this time. I don't know the exact reason. But I should say they are still at the world's top level. We have to work hard to catch up with them."

Although its leading swimmer, four-time Olympic gold medalist Kosuke Kitajima, didn't perform well due to a shoulder injury, the Japanese men's team maintained its advantage in the men's breaststroke by winning the 100m and 200m events. It also swept the gold medals in the backstroke events

As for the shock 4x200m relay loss, the Japanese swimmers have vowed to bounce back with a vengeance.

"China is just better than us today. We have to accept the reality," said Sho Uchida, the second swimmer on the relay team, after the race. "We will go back to sum up the lessons we learned here to see how we can improve."

The Chinese men do not have the freestyle events all to themselves in Asia as the ROK's Park Tae-hwan was all class at the Asiad.

Park won gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 400m, beating the Chinese duo of Sun and Zhang, and also helped the ROK team win a silver medal and two bronze in the relays. The 1,500m gold was the only one he missed in the individual freestyle events.

Besides Park, the ROK women's team also grabbed a gold in 200m breaststroke when Darae Jeong held off strong Chinese and Japanese opponents.

The Chinese team claims it is ready for further clashes with its Asian neighbors and has already set its sights on higher-level competitions.

"We won't be satisfied with what we have achieved at the Asian Games. We will work hard to prepare for the World Championships next year and the 2012 London Olympic Games," said Yao.

"We are expecting to win more than four gold medals at next year's Worlds and, as for the London Games, we want to earn more gold medals than at the Beijing Olympics - especially on the men's side."

At the 2009 Rome World Championships, China won four gold medals, two silver and four bronze, while at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the host won one gold, three silver and two bronze.