SANYA, April 29 (Xinhua) — The final day of climbing at the 6th Asian Beach Games witnessed a flurry of world records, with both men’s and women’s speed relay events producing world-leading times on Wednesday.
In the men’s relay, China’s Zhao Yicheng and Long Jianguo first dipped under the previous world record of 10.06 seconds in the quarterfinals, clocking 10.04 seconds. They then proceeded to shatter their own mark in the final, storming to the gold medal with a stunning time of 9.75 seconds.
Indonesia’s Antasyafi Robby Al Hilmi and Raharjati Nursamsa secured the silver medal in 9.80 seconds, a time that also broke the previous world record. Kazakhstan’s Rishat Khaibullin and Rashid Khaibullin got the bronze.
This success followed Zhao’s individual triumph on Tuesday, where he had also set a new world record en route to his gold medal. Despite the record-breaking performances, Zhao remained focused on the team’s primary objective.
“Our goal is to keep on winning. I think the world record is just a small bonus along the way,” Zhao said. “The ultimate goal for both of us is to finish the competition smoothly.”
In the women’s relay, Indonesia’s Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi and Kadek Adi Asih won the gold medal. South Korea took silver, and China’s pair of Deng Lijuan and Zhou Yafei earned the bronze.
The women’s event also saw a world record fall, with Indonesia narrowly edging out China in the semifinal with times of 13.174 and 13.178 seconds, respectively. Both times were recognized as a new world record of 13.17 seconds. ■
