The 19-year-old claimed the men’s 400m freestyle title in a Games-record time of 3:41.28, completing an extraordinary haul that also included individual golds in the 200m, 800m and 1,500m freestyle events plus three relay titles.
After the race, Zhang sat on the lane rope and counted out his seven medals on his fingers. “I think the most important thing is to stay grounded and focused, because the Asian Games are not my ultimate goal,” the 198cm-tall teenager said.
China dominated the pool in Tokyo, winning 30 of the 42 available gold medals. Thirteen-year-old Yu Zidi continued her sensational run with three individual golds, all in Games-record times, further underlining the depth of Chinese swimming ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
On the track in Nagoya, Thailand’s Puripol Boonson produced a thrilling performance to win the men’s 100m final in 9.90 seconds, breaking his own Games record set earlier in the evening. It was Thailand’s first men’s 100m gold since 1978. China’s Chen Yujie won the women’s 100m in a Games-record 11.06 seconds.
In gymnastics, Philippines double Olympic champion Carlos Yulo claimed vault gold for his second title of the Games, describing the moment as “a miracle.”
Elsewhere, South Korea defeated China 85-80 in the women’s basketball semi-finals despite the presence of China’s towering 223cm centre Zhang Ziyu, while North Korea’s weightlifters continued their dominance with Oh Kwang Ok setting three world records on the way to gold in the women’s 57kg category.
The Asian Games continue to deliver outstanding performances across multiple sports as athletes from around the continent compete for medals in Japan.