China’s Yang Liwan breaks world record in Incheon

One world and five Asian records fell on another dramatic day of athletics action on Wednesday (22 October) at the Incheon 2014 Asian Para Games in South Korea.

China won 10 titles, while Iran also impressed with five golds.

In one of the first events of the day, China’s Yang Liwan claimed back the world record she lost at the 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships, as she threw 18.45m to score 1,019 points in the women’s javelin F53/54.

Thailand’s Phichai Boonsri then started a flurry of new Asian records with a gold winning throw of 37.70m in the men’s discus F11.

Iran’s Mohammadali Malekpour quickly followed suit, breaking the Asian record on his way to victory in the men’s discus F54/55 in 36.56m, before the Chinese team of Gouhua Zhou, Yan Chen, Lin Zhu and Cuiqing Liu did the same in the women’s 4x100m T11/12/13 final, with a blistering 49.74.

The fourth Asian record of the day went to the United Arab Emirates’ Mohamad Abdalla Ahmed Alq Alhammadi, winning the men’s 200m T34 in 28.32.

And finally, further record breaking success went Iran’s way as Sajad Mohammadian threw 13.86m on his way to gold in the men’s shot put F42.

Track

China dominated once again, started by Hongzhuan Zhou winning the women’s 400m T53 in 55.48.

Her compatriot Wenjun Liu quickly mirrored this success in the women’s 400m T54 in 56.12, four seconds ahead of her opponents, before Guangxu Shang (34.41) won the men’s 200m T37 and Yaqin Shen scooped the women’s 200m T12 title in 26.62.

Sri Lanka’s Anil Prasanna Jayalath Yodha Pedige won the men’s 200m T42 final in 25.87, and a second gold of the day for Thailand came through Pichaya Kurattanasiri (32.85) in the men’s 200m T52.

Japan’s track success came through Keita Sato, winning the men’s 200m T44 in 24.15.

And it was a good day for Malaysia as Mohammad Azlan Mat Lazin took first in the men’s 400m T36 in 59.84 before fellow countryman Mohamad Faizal Aideal Suhaimi won the men’s 100m T12 in 11.33.

In one of the final races of the day, finishing as they started, China found more glory as Hao Wang stormed to gold in 11.07 in the men’s 100m T47 final.

Field

China’s Zou Lijuan (7.90m) kicked off proceedings with glory in the women’s shot put F34.

Iran’s Sagedh Beit Sayah took home the men’s discus F41 title in 37.32m (897), and there was further Iranian success in the men’s shot put F35/36, as Danial Souraniyancheshmeh threw 12.44m (900 points).

A Chinese one-two ensued in the women’s javelin throw F37/38 as Qiangian Jia (31.27) beat Na Mi (29.52), before Feixia Dong threw a season’s best 6.27m on her way to glory in the women’s shot put F55/56.

Japan got their first field medal of the day through Yukiko Kato, as she won the women’s discus throw F41/46 in 35.14m, before Iran’s Mohammad Khalvandi (42.16m) took home the men’s javelin F57 title.

And finally, China’s Yanping Wang claimed gold in the women’s long jump T47, with a distance of 4.41m.

The Asian Para Games sees athletes competing from 41 nations across 23 sports until the 24 October.