China has established a commanding lead in the medal standings after four full days of competition at the Asian Games.
The host nation has claimed 47 gold medals, with Japan in second place on 15 and South Korea third with eight.
Teen phenom propels China’s pool dominance
Among the brightest stories in the pool is 13-year-old Yu Zidi, who has completed a clean sweep of her individual events.
She claimed her third victory in the women’s 400-meter individual medley on Wednesday, touching home in 4 minutes 28.56 seconds, a new competition benchmark.
Earlier, she secured gold in both the 200-meter butterfly and 200-meter individual medley, each time breaking the existing Games standard.
China has now earned 21 of the 28 swimming titles awarded so far this meet.
“I gained a lot from these Asian Games, but there were also some regrets,” she shared after her final race, as quoted by AFP.
When a journalist noted her performances appeared effortless, she replied directly: “Definitely not.”
Her rapid rise has turned attention toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, where she will turn 14 shortly before the opening ceremonies.
Should she maintain her current trajectory, she will emerge as one of the youngest and most formidable contenders in the pool.
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Weightlifting glory for North Korea
In other news, the weightlifting arena witnessed history as North Korea secured its first two championships of these Games, both in women’s competition.
Ri Song Gum delivered a dominant display in the 49-kilogram class, rewriting three world records in a single session.
She lifted 94 kilograms in the snatch, one kilogram above the previous global mark.
In the clean-and-jerk, she hoisted 116 kilograms, then 121 kilograms, surpassing the existing standard both times.
Her combined total of 215 kilograms also established a new world record.
“The reason I got this gold is for the feelings of my home country, the people had huge expectations for me,” Ri told reporters through the emotion of the moment.
“I wanted to lift my country up on these two small shoulders.”
Minutes later, teammate Kang Hyong Yong matched the feat with a commanding victory in the 53-kilogram division.
The 28-year-old Ri, who stands just 140 centimeters tall, has now joined an elite group of four athletes to claim three Asian Games weightlifting titles.
A large, vocal crowd of supporters, including many North Korean residents in Japan, cheered every successful lift throughout the session.
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Candid reactions across other disciplines
Competition unfolded across multiple venues with standout moments and candid remarks from athletes.
On the road, China claimed both titles in the half-marathon race walk.
Yang Liujiang, the women’s winner, offered a personal reflection on her performance.
“My name means ‘power,’ so here I walked with power,” she explained.
Asked about her nation taking both championships, she added: “I think it’s normal for us to sweep the gold medals.”
In badminton, world number one An Se-young guided South Korea into the women’s team final.
She shared a lighter observation about family support from the sidelines.
“Parents usually cannot bear to watch their own children compete, but my dad seems to watch perfectly happily, which is a bit much,” she stated.
“I am out there running myself into the ground, and he is just cheering away in comfort.”
In men’s gymnastics, China finished ahead of host Japan for the team title. Japan’s Daiki Hashimoto offered a straightforward assessment of the result.
“Second place. The most honest feeling is that it is very frustrating,” he acknowledged.
The 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, officially runs from September 19 to October 4, 2026, with early events having commenced on September 10.
The Games features a massive program of 469 medal events across 43 sports, drawing approximately 17,000 athletes and officials from up to 46 nations.
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Levi Mora 
Wendellyn Mateo 
Geoffrey H. Latayan