Teen swimmer makes Games history as Thai, Chinese sprinters win gold

On Friday evening, Zhang Zhanshuo etched his name in history as the first swimmer to claim seven gold medals at a single Asian Games. The towering 19-year-old Chinese star smashed records in the 400m freestyle and other events during the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. Zhang's seven titles included the 200m, 800m, and 1,500m freestyle events, as well as three relay races. The youngster, who stands at 198cm (6ft 6in), said that while winning the Asian Games was not his ultimate goal, the experience had been "perfect".

Meanwhile, young Thai sprinters and Chinese athletes dazzled on the track, winning the 100m race in a Games-record time. In the men's event, 17-year-old Chen Yujie claimed victory with a blistering 11.06-second time, breaking the Games record. Just a day earlier, Japan's 17-year-old Shin Ohashi shattered the men's 200m breaststroke world record. Across the city of Nagoya, the host city for the weightlifting and diving events, the track and field competitions were held in front of empty stands.

In the women's 100m final, Thailand's Puripol Boonson broke a Games record with a thrilling 9.90-second performance, marking Thailand's first gold in the event since 1978. The win was particularly significant for Boonson, as it marked a birthday present for himself, having turned 20 on the day of the race. China dominated the medal table with 98 golds, far outpacing Japan's 28 golds. South Korea and North Korea rounded out the top three with 13 and four golds, respectively.