Japanese Team Dominates Track Cycling at Hangzhou Asian Games
The Japanese team excelled in the track cycling events at the Hangzhou Asian Games, securing three gold medals. In contrast, the Chinese team won three silver medals and one bronze medal.
On the second day of competition, the Japanese team set new Asian Games records in both the men’s and women’s team pursuit events, leading to their victories. They also triumphed in the women’s keirin event.
During the women’s team pursuit, the Japanese cyclists overtook their Chinese opponents in the final stage, finishing with a time of 4:21.224 and setting a new Asian Games record. The Chinese team secured the silver medal with a time of 4:21.285. The Hong Kong team of China defeated South Korea to claim the bronze medal.
Emotions ran high as Hong Kong player Leung Po-yee earned her first Asian Games medal. Overwhelmed with joy, she couldn’t hold back tears upon hearing the continuous cheers from the audience. Leung stated, “There is no absolute advantage in winning a medal this time, so I just gave it a try. I didn’t think too much about it and just tried my best to ride every lap.”
On the men’s side, the Japanese team continued their domination in the team pursuit final, securing the gold medal with a time of 3:52.757, breaking the Asian Games record. The Chinese team claimed the silver medal with a time of 3:56.277. Meanwhile, the South Korean team won the bronze medal by defeating the Hong Kong team of China by a considerable margin.
Speaking after the race, Japanese team player Yumi Kajiwara, who won gold in the women’s team pursuit event, expressed her joy at winning the medal. Kajiwara revealed that she and her teammates had spent a year preparing for the Asian Games and were fully prepared for the competition.
Hideya Hashimoto, another Japanese team player, acknowledged the tough competition provided by the Chinese team. He said, “This was a very tough game, and the Chinese team was a very strong opponent. Now our goal is the Paris Olympics.”
In the women’s keirin event, the top six positions were hotly contested between athletes from the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean teams. Mizuna Sato from the Japanese team emerged victorious, claiming the gold medal. Wang Lijuan and Zhang Linyin from the Chinese team won the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
The success of the Japanese team in track cycling at the Hangzhou Asian Games showcases their commitment and dedication to the sport. As they set their sights on the Paris Olympics, they will undoubtedly strive for further victories on the international stage.