JAKARTA, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- China's Wang Yu has become the man who jumps highest in Asia as he won the gold medal from the men's high jump final at the Asian Games here on Monday.
The 27-year-old clinched the title as the only one who cleared 2.30 meters in his first attempt. He then tried to renew his personal best of 2.33 meters by challenging 2.34 meters, but failed twice.
South Korean Woo Sang-hyeok grabbed the silver medal with a height of 2.28 meters. Japanese Naoto Tobe and Syrian Majd Eddin Ghzal both ranked the third with 2.24 meters. However, the bronze medal apparently meant more to Ghzal as it is the country's first Asiad medal in Jakarta.
"I'm not at my prime time. My performance tonight can only be called so-so because other athletes gave me a lot of pressure. But I'm still very happy to win the gold medal," said Wang, who finished the fourth in Incheon Games, his Asiad debut, four years ago.
"I can see my improvement this time and it gives me a lot of confidence to fight for Tokyo Olympic Games," he said.
The 31-year-old Syrian has also cast his eyes on Tokyo. Surrounded by his coach and media staff from home, Ghzal, wearing the national flag of Syria and posing for photos, smiled proudly.
"Actually, it's not my day. I can jump 2.40. It's an easy height for me. It's my third Asian Games and I won the first medal (at this Asian Games) for my country. It means so much," he told Xinhua.
Ghzal hoped to do better at the Doha World Championship next year and then at Tokyo Olympic Games.
"I will definitely be there. Everyone wants a medal at Olympic Games, any color, but it's tough. So I will prepare myself, step by step," he said.
"I also want to tell the world Syria is getting better day by day. You are welcome to my home," he added.
In other events of the day, Bahrain runner Oluwakemi Adekoya booked a new Asian Games record in the women's 400m hurdles final with a time of 54.48 seconds to clinch the gold medal.
The silver medal went to Quach Thi Lan from Vietnam, who finished the race in 55.30 seconds, while the bronze was won by Aminat Jamal, also Bahrain at 55.65 seconds
Winfred Yavi won Bahrain a second gold of the day comfortably from women's 3,000m steeplechase final with a time of 9:36.52. The silver medallist India Sudha Singh finished the tough race at 9:40.03, while Vietnamese Nguyen Thi Oanh beat China's Zhang Xinyan to take the bronze medal.
Qatari Abderrahman Samba raised the Games' record to 47.66 seconds, winning the gold in men's 400m hurdles, followed by Indian Dharun Ayyasamy. Japanese Takatoshi Abe refreshed his personal best to settle for the bronze.
Hossein Keyhani from Iran won the country's first athletics gold at Jakarta Asiad in men's 3,000m steeplechase final, bringing the Games' record to new high 8:22.79. Yaser Bagharab from Qatar won the silver while Kazuya Shiojiri from Japan pocketed the bronze.
Bui Thi Thu Thao is no doubt heroine of Vietnam as she won the nation's first athletics gold at Jakarta Asiad in women's long jump with her season best of 6.55 meters. Indian Neena Varakil edged Chinese Xu Xiaoling to take the silver medal by 1 centimeter. Xu settled for the bronze.
China's Liu Qizhen won the silver in men's javelin throw, but it's Indian Neeraj Chopra who brought home gold with a stunning 88.06 meters in his third attempt. Pakistani Arshad Nadeem won the bronze.
