Asian Games: Walk gold for Japan´s Tanii

INCHEON, South Korea: Japan´s Takayuki Tanii broke the Chinese stranglehold on Asian Games race walking on Wednesday, taking gold in the men´s 50 kilometre race in an event-record time.

The 31-year-old finished in three hours, 40 minutes and 19 seconds, the fifth fastest time in the world this year and more than seven minutes quicker than the old Asian Games mark.

The win denies China a clean sweep in race walking at the Games, after they took gold in both the men´s and women´s 20km event earlier in the week.

The Chinese have dominated race walking at the Asian Games, winning 17 out of the 22 golds on offer in the various distances covered since the event was first included in 1951.

South Korea´s Park Chilsung took silver with China´s Wang Zhendong third.The big excitement in Wednesday´s fifth day of athletics competition at the Asiad Main Stadium comes later with the men´s 200m final.

Qatar´s Femi Ogunode comfortably posted the quickest time in the semi-finals and goes into tonight´s final hot favourite to complete a sprint double after winning the 100m.

Nigeria-born Ogunode, who returned from a two-year doping ban in January, smashed the Asian Games record for the 100m on Sunday, crossing in 9.93 seconds, nearly two-tenths ahead of silver medallist Su Bingtian of China. (AFP)