Asian Beach Games: China Rule Sailing With Five Gold Medals; Zhao Breaks Men's Speed World Record

Asian Beach Games: China rule sailing with five gold medals; Zhao breaks men's speed world record (Image Source: IANS)

Muhammad Yaasin Bin Syahrizan: China continued to dominate the Asian Beach Games, ruling the sailing competition with five gold, two silver, and two bronze medals, as all the events and excelling in the sports climbing section in Sanya, China, on Tuesday.

The Chinese sailors had a field day in the sailing competition on Tuesday.

China's Cheng Wenyu won gold in the girls' Optimist event, with Singapore's Anya Alessia Zahedi and Thailand's Pariyaporn Chantarawong taking silver and bronze, respectively. In the boys' Optimist, Thailand's Rachata Sadtrakulwattana won gold ahead of teammate Sorawit Naksuk, while Malaysia's Muhammad Yaasin Bin Syahrizan claimed bronze.

Cheng, a Hainan native, was delighted to win on home waters. "I'm very happy to win gold in my hometown," she said, adding that she's confident sailing will continue to grow if more people pay attention to the sport.

In the girls' ILCA4 event, 16-year-old Yan Guoguo of China won gold, followed by Thailand's Pailin Jaroenpon and Singapore's Nia Mehry Zahedi. Singapore's Ian Goh took gold in the boys' ILCA4, with Thailand's Hussaluk Srinakorn second and South Korea's Jiun Choi third.

Foil windsurfing and Formula Kite, which made their Olympic debut at Paris 2024, have both been included in the sailing program at the Asian Beach Games. In the boys' foil windsurfing, 20-year-old Wang Yiguo of China won gold, with the Philippines' Dhenver John Castillo and Thailand's Wachirawit Thonup taking silver and bronze. On the girls' part, China's Chen Yimin topped the podium, and Li Qing took bronze, while Yuen Ching Suet of Hong Kong, China, took silver.

Wang said his original goal was simply a podium finish. "Being able to compete at a major Asian event is very meaningful for me," he said, adding that he hopes to step onto a bigger international stage, reports Xinhua.

China's Ma Zilin, 18, won gold in the women's Formula Kite, with teammate Li Shuxuan taking silver and South Korea's Lee Youngeun bronze. In the men's Formula Kite, Thailand's Joseph Jonathan Weston claimed gold, while China's Xue Shiming and Yang Xinnuo secured silver and bronze.

Thailand finished second overall with two gold medals, while Singapore took one.

"The sailing event progressed in an orderly way according to plan," said David Brookes, chief referee for sailing at the Asian Beach Games, noting that the favourable weather conditions in Sanya Bay allow training and competition to be held throughout the year.

Zhao breaks men's speed world record

Chinese speed climber Zhao Yicheng set a new men's speed world record of 4.58 seconds in the preliminaries on Tuesday. The previous mark of 4.64 seconds was held by American Samuel Watson, set at a World Cup event in Bali in 2025.

The 16-year-old opened with 4.73 seconds on his first attempt before slicing his time down to 4.58 on his second run.

The performance marks a dramatic breakthrough for the teenager, who had already sent warning signals to the climbing world before the Games. In March 2025, during a national team selection event in Baisha, Hainan, he recorded unofficial times of 4.68 and 4.65 seconds in one afternoon - both faster than Watson's then-world record of 4.74 set at the Paris Olympics.

The 16-year-old opened with 4.73 seconds on his first attempt before slicing his time down to 4.58 on his second run.

Zhao's record led a strong showing by the hosts, as all four Chinese men and all four Chinese women advanced to the next round. The round of 16 is scheduled for Tuesday evening.

Article Source: IANS