Two-time Asian champion Yousef Masrahi kept the Saudi flag flying high in Incheon Asian Games as he blew away the rivals in the 400 meters for gold Sunday. The one-lap specialist Masrahi maintained a steady pace to record 44.46 seconds, leaving Bahrain's Abbas Abubaker a distant second (45.62) and India's Arokia Rajiv third (45.92) Saudi Arabia also clinched a silver Saturday when Salman Hamed S Almaqadi, Prince Faisal Al-Shalan, Abdulrahman Bader M Alrajhi and Abdullah Waleed A Sharbatli claimed second place in the equestrian jumping event. Qatar's Femi Ogunode set a continental 100-meter record of 9.93 seconds, firmly indicating his determination to contend for an Olympic podium appearance two years from now in Rio. At the halfway mark of the 16-day competition, Japanese freestyle wrestler Saori Yoshida won her fourth consecutive Asian Games gold in the women's 55-kg class, while in baseball defending champion South Korea downed Taiwan 6-3 for gold. Regional sporting power China continued to dominate the medal table at the continental games, with 105 golds. Host South Korea was second with 42 golds followed by Japan with 34. With a light rain falling, the Nigerian-born Ogunode powered past the competition. China's Su Bingtian took silver at 10.10 and Japan's Kei Takase third at 10.15, while China's Zhang Peimeng came up short again in his quest to become the first Asian sprinter to break the 10-second barrier, finishing fourth in 10.18. China's Wei Yongli won gold in the women's 100 in 11.48, forcing defending champion Chisato Fukushima of Japan into second place just 0.01 behind. Olga Safronova of Kazakhstan was another 0.01 back in third place.Nigerian-born Oluwakemi Adekoya won the women's 400 for Bahrain in 51.59, with Vietnam's Quach Thi Lan second and Poovamma Raju Machettira of India third. Chinese Olympic bronze medalist Zhang Wenxiu won her third consecutive gold in the Asiad women's hammer throw, with teammate Wang Zheng in second and India's Bala Manju third. China's Xue Changrui won the men's pole vault by reaching 5.5 meters, with Japan's Daichi Sawano second and South Korea's Jin Min-sub third. China bagged both 20-km race walking golds, with Wang Zhen taking the men's and Lu Xiuzhi the women's. One of Japan's biggest sporting stars and most successful wrestlers in history, Yoshida beat Mongolia's Byambatseren Sundev 4-1. In football, South Korea defeated defending champion Japan 1-0 in their quarterfinal and will meet Thailand, who beat Jordan 2-0, in the semifinals Tuesday. Iraq downed Saudi Arabia 3-0 and will play North Korea, which defeated the United Arab Emirates 1-0. South Korea's Jang Kyung-gu won the men's cycling road race, while South Korea won both gold medals given out on the final day of the archery competition. Wang Yihan defeated Chinese teammate Li Xuerui 2-1 to win gold in badminton women's singles. Indonesia won the badminton men's mixed doubles, with Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan downing South Korea's Yoo Yeon-seong and Lee Yong-dae 2-1. Seven-time winner China sensationally exited in basketball, after being defeated by Iran 75-67. China's fate was sealed when Japan beat Mongolia 96-70. The basketball-mad Philippines was also dumped out after South Korea toppled Qatar 65-58. The Philippines beat Kazakhstan 67-65. — SG
