Japan's Kenji Nener crosses the finish line of the men's individual triathlon at the Hangzhou Asian Games on Sept. 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Wu Zhuang)
Kenji Nener of Japan secured the men's individual triathlon title with a commanding lead throughout the race.
HANGZHOU, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Kenji Nener clinched top honors in the men's individual triathlon at the Hangzhou Asiad on Friday.
Athletes from 17 countries and regions gathered by the shores of Thousand Lake Island to test their speed and endurance.
Nener maintained a commanding lead throughout the race, ultimately securing the win with a time of one hour, 50 minutes and 54 seconds.
"My aim was to win the gold medal, but I didn't know if I could do it," the Japanese said. "The cycling and running competitions were especially tough. I thought I was not going to be able to keep the speed up. However, I told myself I needed to keep to the end because I am a fighter."
Japan's Makoto Odakura and Ayan Beisenbayev of Kazakhstan respectively claimed silver and bronze medals. Li Mingxu of China finished fourth.
The women's individual triathlon takes place on Saturday. ■
