Home hero Yamashita claims men's marathon gold in rainy Nagoya
NAGOYA: Japan’s Ichitaka Yamashita bided his time before surging to a commanding Asian Games marathon gold on Saturday, thrilling home fans lining the streets on a wet morning in Nagoya before Shitaye Eshete rolled back the years to win the women’s race for Bahrain.
Nagoya, Japan saw Ichitaka Yamashita clinch a commanding victory in the men's marathon at the Asian Games on Saturday. The event took place under a rainy sky, drawing a large crowd of enthusiastic local fans gathered along the streets. Yamashita, representing Japan, secured the country's seventh men's marathon title at the Games with a decisive move. He began the race cautiously, allowing his rivals to take the lead before executing his strategy.
At the halfway point, Yamashita broke away from the pack, joining forces with North Korea's Han Il Ryong and India's Sawan Barwal. Together, they maintained a steady pace as they approached the final 10 km of the race. As the leading duo started to falter, Yamashita seized his opportunity and surged ahead to cross the finish line at Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 49 seconds.
Barwal, who set a personal best, finished a 48-second distance behind Yamashita. China's Feng Peiyou claimed the bronze medal, narrowly beating out Han Il Ryong. Back in women's marathon, Bahrain's Shitaye Eshete dominated the competition, triumphing 16 years after claiming bronze in the 10,000 meters race at Guangzhou. Eshete, a 36-year-old mother of three, expressed her satisfaction with her performance, noting that she would now focus on the 2027 world championships.
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