China Dominates Athletics at 2026 Asian Games with Relay Victories

China continues to display exceptional prowess in athletics at the 2026 Asian Games, taking home four gold medals on Monday, including both the men's and women's 4x100 metre relay titles. The event, held in Nagoya, Japan, also saw impressive performances from athletes representing the United Arab Emirates and Japan, as they set new Asian Games records.

Mariam Kareem, an 18-year-old from the UAE, made headlines by winning the women’s 400 meters hurdles in a record time of 54.31 seconds. This achievement eclipsed the previous Games record of 54.45 seconds, set by Oluwakemi Adekoya of Bahrain during the Hangzhou Games in 2023. Kareem's remarkable performance was complemented by Kazakhstan's Adelina Zems and India’s Vithya Ramraj, who secured the silver and bronze medals, respectively, while China's Kong Yingying waited in fourth place with a time of 55.78 seconds.

In the men's division, Qatar's Bassem Hemeida emerged victorious in the 400 meters hurdles, clocking in at 47.82 seconds. Japan's Taiju Goto and Lin Chung-wei from Chinese Taipei rounded out the medalists.

Kazuto Iizawa of Japan also etched his name in the record books by winning the men's 1,500 metres with a new Games record of 3:36.35. This victory made him the first Japanese male to win this event in 40 years, marking a significant milestone in the Asian Games' history. Reflecting on his success, Iizawa stated, "What was asked of me was a gold medal, and I am glad I delivered it. The clock on the Japanese men's 1,500m had been stopped for a very long time, and I think I have started it moving again, little by little. I do not want to stop at this. I want to go higher."

Feng Bin of China defended her title in the women’s discus throw, achieving a best throw of 63.83 metres in the final round. Her compatriot, Jiang Zhichao, followed closely with a personal best throw of 62.25 metres to take silver, while Thailand’s Subenrat Insaeng earned bronze with a season-best throw of 61.43 metres. Despite her success, Feng expressed mixed feelings regarding her performance. "I reached my goal in ranking, but I missed my target mark by a little," she remarked, elaborating that she had hoped to throw between 65 and 66 metres. Feng has faced consistent training setbacks due to injuries over the past two years, but her recent form has reignited her ambitions, with goals now set on the World Championships in Beijing next year and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Shi Yuhao delivered China's second athletics gold of the night in the men’s long jump, achieving a personal season-best of 8.17 metres on his second attempt. India’s Murali Sreeshankar secured silver with a jump of 8.07 metres, while Uzbekistan's Anvar Anvarov finished third with a jump of 8.06 metres. Shi remarked on the challenges he has faced with injuries over the past decade, stating, "Injuries, time off and treatment took up most of the last 10 years. Even now, my foot still hurt this morning after yesterday's qualifying."

China's relays swept the podium as they won both the men’s and women’s 4x100 metres events. In the women’s final, Liang Xiaojing, Liu Guoyi, Liu Xiajun, and Chen Yujie clinched gold with a time of 42.96 seconds, with Thailand and Japan finishing second and third, respectively. Chen Yujie, at just 17 years old, had already earned gold in the women’s 100 metres and silver in the 200 metres during the Games. The men's 4x100m relay saw the team of Chen Jinfeng, Zeng Keli, Wang Shengjie, and Xie Zhenye reach the finish line first in 38.17 seconds, followed closely by Chinese Taipei and South Korea.

In other notable results, Japan's Ryuji Miura won gold in the men's 3,000 metres steeplechase, while Sri Lanka's Rumesh Tharanga captured the men's javelin title, and Bahrain's Winfred Yavi, who was born in Kenya, emerged as the champion in the women's 5,000 metres. The day also included the first round of the mixed 4x100 metre relay, where China secured a spot in the finals after winning their heat. The strong performances from these athletes underline the competitive spirit and excellence showcased at the ongoing Asian Games.