Guangzhou: No prizes for guessing who won the first gold medal of the Guangzhou Asian Games: the script was well choreographed for Yuan Xiaochao and China.
Wushu, the Chinese martial arts, offered the first of 28 gold medals on offer Saturday and two-time world champion Yuan Xiaochao obliged by winning the Changquan discipline in confident style before 10 a.m. on day one of competition.
"I feel very lucky to be able to compete for China's first gold medal ... very happy to get that first gold medal," said the 22-year-old Yuan, an avid Bruce Lee and Jet Li fan who harbors ambitions of working in kung-fu movie. "The win has a significant meaning for me. It is also a good way to make the world know China and Chinese Wushu."
China topped the medal count at the last Asian Games in Doha with 166 gold medals, well clear of second-place South Korea's 58. The host nation's only medal target in Guangzhou, where 476 gold medals are at stake, is to surpass the 2006 totals.
Japan, third in the medal count at Doha, picked up gold and silver in the women's triathlon, with Mariko Adachi leading teammate Akane Tsuchihashi across the finish line in 2 hours, 5 minutes, 45 seconds. Jang Yun-jung of South Korea took the bronze.
It was the first gold medal awarded outdoors at the games.
"Now I feel very proud to get Japan's first gold medal," Adachi said.
Competition also got underway in gymnastics, shooting and swimming on Saturday morning, while China made a promising start against Malaysia as cricket made its debut at the Asian Games.
But most of the local attention was on Wushu.
Yuan's coaches had shielded him from the domestic media, which has closely followed his chances of claiming the first gold. Handlers had to hustle Yuan out of a news conference after he was mobbed by breathless reporters shouting questions.
He even missed the spectacular opening ceremony on Friday night, when athletes from all 45 competing countries were ferried down the Pearl River to an island venue for an extravagant show of fireworks and light.
"To have the best competition I have to get rest," he said. "It's mostly to help me relax."
Comments
0 comment