Closing Day in Ordos - China Tops the Table as the 1st Asian U23 Athletics Championships Draw to a Close
Four days after the flag was raised under a clearing evening sky, the 1st Asian U23 Athletics Championships came to a close in Ordos on Sunday with a final, action-packed session of finals. Sprints, distance racing, race walking, jumps, throws, and relays all shared the stage on a day built for closing out a Championship in style.
China's Shiqi Zhao opened the evening's headline events with a personal-best 13.38 to win the Men's 110m Hurdles, edging compatriot Zijun Zhang (13.41 PB) in an all-China top-two finish.
On the track, Japan's Takumi Shiobara (3:53.57) held off Qatar's Zakaria Elahlaami (3:54.11) to claim the Men's 1500m title. China's Yuan Li completed a remarkable distance double, adding the Women's 1500m gold (4:19.88) to her earlier 5000m victory ahead of teammate Shuqi Ye. Japan's Kana Mizumoto captured the Women's 10000m crown in 33:24.87.
Earlier in the day, the Half Marathon Race Walk titles went to Japan's Sotaro Osaka (1:26:11) and China's Jinlin Ning (1:38:24), completing a memorable morning session.
In the field events, Uzbekistan finished strongly as Amir Nagaev cleared 2.16m to secure the Men's High Jump gold, while Sharifa Davronova produced a season-best 14.24m to win the Women's Triple Jump.
India's Anand Singh delivered one of the day's finest performances, throwing a personal-best 80.57m to claim the Men's Javelin Throw title.
The relay events provided a spectacular finish to the Championships. China swept the Men's and Women's 4x100m titles along with the Men's 4x400m Relay. However, it was India that produced the biggest upset of the day, chasing down China in the final stretch to win the Women's 4x400m Relay in a personal-best 3:33.62, one of the standout team performances of the competition.
When the Championships concluded, China comfortably topped the final medal table with 23 gold, 17 silver, and 12 bronze medals for a total of 52 medals. Japan finished second with 7 gold, 8 silver, and 7 bronze, while Uzbekistan secured third with 5 gold, 4 silver, and 1 bronze.
India's impressive haul of 3 gold, 4 silver, and 9 bronze medals highlighted the team's depth, while Qatar and Chinese Taipei each concluded the Championships with three gold medals.
Four unforgettable days, dozens of finals, a national record, and countless personal bests later, the inaugural Asian U23 Athletics Championships leaves Ordos having crowned its first champions and established a strong foundation for future editions. The city of Ordos delivered a memorable Championship that lived up to every expectation.
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