Divers, Runners Win Gold Medals for China

Two world champion divers and Asia’s fastest woman sprinter gave China more gold medals at the Asian Games today.

Meanwhile, South Korea caught up with Japan in the gold medal count by winning five today--three in freestyle wrestling, one in men’s individual epee fencing and one for beating China 3-1 for the women’s field hockey title. South Korea was the defending champion.

China’s Tian Yumei gained the status of Asia’s fastest woman sprinter by winning the 100 meters in 11.80 seconds. Taiwan’s Wang Huei Chen edged South Korea’s Lee Young Suk for second.

In the 400 meters, China’s Li Guilan led all the way, winning in 52.13 seconds and breaking the Games record of 52.16 set by India’s P.T. Usha in 1986.

Liu Huajin of China won the gold in the 110-meter hurdles.

In diving, Chinese world champion Gao Min said she did not do well today, but she still won the women’s one-meter springboard competition by more than 30 points. Gao, winner of the 1989 World Cup and 1988 Olympics, was awarded 526.62 points. Teammate Yu Xiaoling had 492.36 and Japan’s Yuki Motobuchi had 438.42.

Then another Chinese world champion, Tan Liangde, won the men’s one-meter springboard diving, scoring 642.75 points to 632.91 for teammate Wang Yijie and 531.12 for Japan’s Chimaki Yasuda. Tan, whose world championship is in three-meter springboard competition, said he began training on the one-meter board only last year.

The Chinese had six of the day’s 15 golds--four in track and field and two in diving--giving them a total of 145. Japan and South Korea each had 35 and North Korea 12. In overall medals, China had 269, Japan 146, South Korea 131 and North Korea 66.