Asian Games conclude in Japan after records, rancour and rain

AFP

Nagoya, Oct. 5: More than 17,000 athletes and officials, a bigger number than the Olympics, descended on Nagoya and Aichi prefecture for the continent's premier sporting spectacular.

Chinese swimming sensation Yu Zidi, just 13, stole the show with three gold medals, all in Games-record times. She looks set to be a major medal threat at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

The schoolgirl was named a Games MVP to cap an extraordinary showing that saw her scorch to gold in the 200m butterfly and do the 200m-400m individual medley double. For all that, the shy teenager said: "I don't think I am what people describe as a prodigy." Also in the pool, Japanese swimmer Shin Ohashi, only 17, smashed the men's 200m breaststroke world record to delight the home crowd.

In athletics, where rain tumbled down over several days, the 20-year-old Thai sprinter Puripol Boonson did the 100m-200m double and was named men's MVP. On a dry evening, a celebratory closing ceremony full of colour and song saw Japan hand over hosting duties to Doha 2030.

'Failure grade'

Top officials were on the defensive up until the last minute.

Olympic Council of Asia director general Husain Al-Musallam said "numbers are facts", pointing to 50 world records broken at the Games after they opened on September 19.