Japanese cyclists in action during the track cycling women's madison final at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 28, 2023. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
HANGZHOU, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Japan continued their impressive performance in track cycling at the Hangzhou Asiad, sweeping three gold medals here on Thursday.
Out of the eight gold medals contested so far, Japan who also took all three golds on Wednesday, has racked up seven golds in the sport. The lone gold that slipped out of their hands was the women's team sprint, which was won by China on Tuesday.
In a thrilling showdown during the women's Madison final, the Japanese duo of Maho Kakita and Tsuyaka Uchino exhibited impeccable teamwork to earn the gold medal with a total of 50 points. They held a commanding 10-point lead over the second-placed Hong Kong, China pair of Lee Sze Wing and Yang Qianyu, while South Korean pair Lee Ju-mi and Na Ah-reum secured the bronze.
Kakita Maho competes during the track cycling women's madison final at the Hangzhou Asian Games, Sept. 28, 2023. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
Japanese cyclist Kaiya Ota claimed the gold medal in the men's sprint event, with Chinese rider Zhou Yu bagging the silver. Malaysia's Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom clinched the bronze by a narrow margin.
"Looking back on my races, I got great support from everyone around me. And in training I worked very hard for this race," Ota shared. "Tomorrow it's the Keirin race. That will be a special moment. I will try my best."
The men's Omnium competition saw Japan's Kazushige Kuboki secure the gold medal with a total of 178 points. Leung Ka Yu of Hong Kong, China got the silver with 143 points, and Ahmed Almansoori of the United Arab Emirates took the bronze medal with 131 points. ■
