Chinese swimmer bags seven golds in Asian Games first; N. Korea lifters break more world records

NAGOYA, Sep 25 — In a historic Asian Games victory, 19-year-old Chinese swimmer Zhang Zhanshuo became the first athlete to win seven gold medals in a single Asian Games, setting a new benchmark in swimming. Towering at 198cm (6ft 6in), Zhang secured gold in the men’s 400m freestyle, 200m, 800m, and 1,500m freestyle events, as well as three relay races.

He commented, "It was the perfect week," emphasizing the importance of staying grounded and focused, as the Asian Games are not his ultimate goal. With the Los Angeles Olympics looming less than two years away, China dominated the pool, claiming 30 out of 42 golds. Their national team also secured 13-year-old sensation Yu Zidi's three individual golds, all set to remarkable Games-record times.

Meanwhile, South Korea's women's basketball team managed to edge out China 85-80 in the semi-finals, advancing to a gold medal match against either the host nation or Taiwan. South Korea’s Kang Lee-seul noted that “She was tough to guard,” describing North Korea’s Zhang Ziyu, who stood an impressive 223cm (7ft 4in), as the toughest opponent they encountered.

North Korea’s women, known for their record-breaking performances, took another gold in weightlifting. 19-year-old Oh Kwang Ok set three world records, lifting 104kg in the snatch and 134kg in the clean and jerk, totaling 238kg. This effort, however, was no match for China’s Yang Liuye in the 61kg event. Yang matched Oh’s 112kg snatch, but edged out with a total of 251kg, also a new world record. North Korea secured four gold medals and two silvers across six weightlifting events so far.