Chen Yiwen and Lian Junjie won the last two diving golds. China have taken every diving title since their first Asian Games appearance 52 years ago — a 14th consecutive sweep. The country’s overall gold tally reached 150 with four days remaining. Hosts Japan have 50. South Korea have 24.
Chen, a double Paris Olympic champion, said: “Girls are every bit as capable as boys. We are pushing ourselves to perform more difficult dives, too. We do not train any less than the boys.”
Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa, acting chairman of the local organising committee, said: “We must offer our apologies to the athletes and others affected by these inconveniences. We must sincerely reflect on the mishandling that occurred.” Competitors have complained about shortages of beds and transport. There is no athletes’ village. More than 17,000 athletes and officials — more than at an Olympics — have been housed in temporary wooden units, a cruise ship and hotels.
In tennis, the Philippines’ Alexandra Eala, world No. 18, beat Taiwan’s Joanna Garland 7-5, 6-0 to reach the women’s singles semi-finals. The champion qualifies for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Eala next plays China’s Wang Xiyu. “Representing my country and playing these types of games… they’re very close to my heart,” she said.
Olympic boxing champion Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan is guaranteed at least silver after a 5-0 win over Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova in the women’s 60kg semi-finals.
South Korea beat China 2-1 in the men’s football semi-finals with an 82nd-minute winner. They will face Japan in the gold-medal match after the hosts beat Uzbekistan 9-8 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time.
China’s divers remain unbeaten across half a century of Asian Games. The hosts are still explaining why the rest of the event has been harder work.