Jamal Al-Safaar wins the men's 100m at the Asian Games (© Gray Mortimore)
BusanJapan’s Nobuhara Asahara was expected to step into the shoes of his compatriot, Koji Ito the reigning champion, and retain the men’s 100m title for Japan. Instead, Asahara, the overwhelming favourite for the dash at the Asian Games, found himself humbled by Jamal Al-Saffar of Saudi Arabia who in Colombo earlier this summer, had retained the Asian Championships title which he had first won in 2000.
Asahara had been in such terrific form this season that it was difficult to imagine anyone else would ascend the throne vacated by Ito who, now retired, had run a 10.00 flat in the last Asian Games in Bangkok in 1998, a time which still stands as the continental record.
So Japanese domination of the sprints was expected to continue but Al-Saffar had other ideas.
The Saudi’s two Asian Championship sprint titles seemed to lose some sheen in the absence of the top Japanese competitors, but today in Busan he beat the best in Asia to put a stop to any kind of debate.
The timings were nothing much to crow about, 10.24 for Al-Saffar and 10.29 for Asahara, who put everything he had into the final 40 metres. China’s Chen Haijian took the bronze in 10.34, while Kazakh Gennadiy Chernovol could manage only fourth place in 10.35.
Susanthika Jayasinghe had it much easier in the women’s 100m sprint. The Sri Lankan was slightly late off the blocks but then she is such a good finisher that seemingly she can make up any amount of leeway.
Having clocked 11.16 in the heats for a Games record, bettering Chinese Li Xuemei’s 1994 mark of 11.27, Jayasinghe bettered it once again in the final, clocking 11.15. The second-placed Lyubov Perepelova of Uzbekistan was way back in 11.38. In Colombo, Susanthika had beaten the Uzbek by a 0.27 second margin.
On a day when chilly winds blew and the temperatures hovered around 16C, this was excellent sprinting by the Sri Lankan who had dropped out before the 100m final four years ago in Bangkok with an injury.
The Sri Lankan is confident of completing a sprint double just as she did in the Asian meet in Colombo in August . “It is not a question of winning the 200 metres. It is a question of whether I will be able to better the Games record,” said Jayasinghe, confident as ever. The Games record in the 200m stands at 22.48 in the name of her team-mate Damayanthi Darsha who, incidentally, opted out of the event this time because of a clash with the 400m.
In the battle of the hurdling giants, Saudi Arabia’s Olympic silver medallist, Hadi Al-Somaily prevailed. He looked to be going too fast by the time he reached the midway point in the 400m Hurdles, but held off the threat from Asian champion Faraj Mubarak Al-Nubi, over the last three barriers. Japan’s World championship bronze medalist, Dai Tamesue, a late starter this season because of injuries, came in a distant third. Al-Somaily clocked 48.13, a new Games record, while Al-Nubi also bettered the previous mark - 49.13 - jointly held by Japanese Yoshihiko Saito and Shunji Karube, by timing 48.98. Tamesue’s bronze was taken in 49.29.
India had plenty to cheer about on this second day as their athletes won six medals, two of them gold.
K. M. Beenamol, the frail-looking Indian girl, who tops the Asian lists in both the 400m and 800m this season, won the latter, catching up with the rest of the field with about 60 metres to go - after being fifth almost up all the way till then - and then passing them, in a brand of finish that she has patented.
Team-mate Madhuri Singh who took the 800m runners through a slow 63-second opening lap, held off Uzbek Amira Zamirova for the silver. Beenamol clocked 2:04.17, while Madhuri had 2:04.94.
After having stayed away from the 800 metres for three years, Beenamol was advised to run the distance by the Indian Federation’s Secretary, and she responded brilliantly to maintain India’s hold over this event, which was won in 1998 by Jyotirmoy Sakdar.
This was Beenamol’s first individual gold medal in an Asian senior meet. She will also take part in the 400 metres but in the heats Sri Lanka’s Damayanthi Darsha gave a glimpse of what she is capable of, by running away to a 52.25 victory, which left Svetlana Bodritskaya of Kazakhstan and Beenamol both stranded.
Bahadur Singh, a 29-year-old Police officer from the Northern Indian state of Punjab, who had won the Asian junior Discus title in 1992, took the senior Shot Put gold today, with his only valid throw of the competition, his second, that measured 19.03m.
40 year-old Shakti Singh, the other Indian in the fray, and more favoured to win the title after a home performance of 19.99m, just managed to snatch the bronze with 18.27. He and Kuwaiti Ahmad Gholoum tied for the third place on that mark. However, Shakti had a second best throw of 18.16m from his last attempt, against the Kuwaiti’s 18.05, and so was adjudged third. The Indians later complained that the throwing circle was too slippery.
Saad Bilal Mubarak of Qatar was happy with his silver -18.98m - his first medal in the Asian Games. He had come fifth in 1994.
The morning start, on a chilly day, was obviously not to the liking of the Hammer throwers. Japan’s Koji Murofushi won, not with an 80-plus, as might have been expected, but with a 78.72 effort. However, that was a Games record, bettering his own effort of 78.57, from 1998. The Murofushi family now has seven Asian Games titles. Koji’s father, Shigenobu won the Hammer golds between 1970 and 1986.
“Maybe I am a little disappointed that I did not cross 80 metres. But in the conditions prevailing I have to be satisfied with the Games record. The morning start (9.30 a,m) affected not just me but all throwers. I have travelled from Europe and back a few times (recently) and the time difference also affected me”, said Koji.
Will he be able to match his father’s record?
“It is difficult to say at this moment. My father had to put in a lot of hard work. He suffered many injuries. He was 41 when he won his last gold. I would like to throw long. I don’t want to burn myself out, however. I want to throw consistently. Maybe the possibility is there (of winning five in a row), but I have to think about the next one now. “
Shen Shengfei of China retained her Heptathlon crown, holding off a late charge by India’s Soma Biswas. The Indian finished just 12 points behind for the silver after having started the final event, the 800m, in overall third, behind her team-mate J. J. Shobha.
Biswas clocked a fine 2:11.02 for the 800 metres to bridge the gap but in the end it proved inadequate. The silver-bronze finish by the Indians was an unexpected effort amongst a field that contained the Asian champion from Colombo, Svetlana Kazanina, who could only manage fourth place with 5757. Shen Shengfei’s gold was won with 5911 points, Biswas took the silver with 5899, while Shobha closed down the bronze with 5870.
Grigoriy Yegorov, the 35-year-old veteran from Kazakhstan won the Pole Vault gold, on a countback from Japanese Satoru Yasuda, at a lowly 5.40m. The Kazakh, the silver medallist in 1994, cleared his winning height on his second attempt, while the Japanese did so on his third. Both failed at 5.50.
China’s Sun Yingjie, running alone much of the time, clocked a Games record of 30:28.26 to win the women’s 10,000 metres. This was only the second gold of the Athletics competition for China which remained empty-handed on the opening day. But there are still plenty of opportunities ahead, 31 of the 45 gold medals in fact are still to be decided.
By an IAAF Correspondent
Selected Results
Men:
100m : 1. Abdul Jamal Al-Saffar (KSA) 10.24, 2. Nobuhara Asahara (Jpn) 10.29, 3. Chen Haijian (Chn) 10.34.
400m Hurdles: Hadi Soua'an Al-Somaily (KSA) 48.42 (GR), 2. Faraj Mubarak Al-Nubi (Qat) 48.98, 3. Dai Tamesue (Jpn) 49.29.
Pole Vault: 1. Grigoriy Yegorov (Kaz) 5.40, 2. Satoru Yasuda (Jpn) 5.40, 3. Fumiaki Kobayashi (Jpn) 5.20.
Shot Put: 1. Bahadur Singh (Ind) 19.03, 2. Saad Bilal Mubarak (Qat) 18.98, 3. Shakti Singh (Ind) 18.27.
Hammer: 1. Koji Murofushi (Jpn) 78.72 (GR)2. Hiroaki Doi (Jpn) 69.57, 3. Ye Kuigang (Chn) 68.18.
Women:
100m: 1. Susanthika Jayasinghe (Sri) 11.15 (GR), 2. Lyubov Perepelova (Uzb) 11.38, 3. Qin Wangping (Chn) 11.51.
10,000m:1. Sun Yingjie (Chn) 30:28.26 (GR), 2. Kayoko Fukushi (Jpn) 30:50.81, 3. Xing Huina (Chn) 31:42.58.
800m:1. K. M. Beenamol (Ind) 2:04.17, 2. Madhuri Singh (Ind) 2:04.94, 3. Zamira Amirova (Uzb) 2:05.05.
400m Hurdles: 1. Natalya Torshina (Kaz) 56.13, 2. Song Yinglan (Chn) 56.43, 3. Makiko Yoshida (Jpn) 56.68.
Heptathlon:1. Shen Shengfei (Chn) 5911, 2. Soma Biswas (Ind) 5899, 3. J. J. Shobha (Ind) 5870.
