China spearheads Asiad athletics opening day with 4 golds

HANGZHOU - The first competition day of athletics at the Hangzhou Asian Games saw China achieve a 1-2 finish in four events here on Friday.

In the opener, Zhang Jun, who posted the world's second-fastest time this season, pocketed his first-ever major title in the men's 20km race walk in one hour and 23 minutes, followed by his teammate Wang Zhaozhao with one minute and eight seconds behind. The newly-crowned Asian champion Yutaro Murayama of Japan took the bronze in 1:24:41.

Zhang, who failed to make a podium finish at last month's World Championships in Budapest, said he had learned his lessons from the worlds and improved his techniques in the past month.

In the women's event, world record holder Yang Jiayu, who also missed out on the podium in Budapest, overtook her compatriot Ma Zhenxia in the final meters to defend her title in 1:30:03.

Ma crossed the line with only one second behind, followed by Japan's Nanako Fujii in 1:33:49.

In the evening session, women's throwing events witnessed veterans' strength. Tokyo Olympic champion Gong Lijiao, a four-time Asiad participant, won her third gold in a row in the women's shot put with 19.58 meters, an average result for her this season.