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Ogunode sets Asian record with 100m win

INCHEON — Qatar’s Femi Ogunode set a continental 100m record of 9.93s at the Asian Games in Incheon yesterday, firmly indicating his determination to contend for an Olympic podium appearance two years from now in Rio.

Ogunode celebrating his 100m victory. PHOTO: Getty Images

Ogunode celebrating his 100m victory. PHOTO: Getty Images

INCHEON — Qatar’s Femi Ogunode set a continental 100m record of 9.93s at the Asian Games in Incheon yesterday, firmly indicating his determination to contend for an Olympic podium appearance two years from now in Rio.

At the halfway mark of the 16-day competition, Japanese freestyle wrestler Saori Yoshida won her fourth consecutive Asian Games gold in the women’s 55kg class, while in baseball, defending champion South Korea downed Taiwan 6-3.

Regional sporting power China continued to dominate the medal table at the Asiad with 105 golds. Hosts South Korea were second with 42 golds, followed by Japan with 34.

With a light rain falling, the Nigerian-born Ogunode powered past the competition. China’s Su Bingtian took silver at 10.10 and Japan’s Kei Takase third at 10.15, while China’s Zhang Peimeng came up short again in his quest to become the first Asian sprinter to break the 10-second barrier, finishing fourth in 10.18.

“I don’t even know what to say. I’m so grateful and happy,” said Ogunode, who has been training on his own in Doha without a coach for the last five months. “I have confidence in myself, I can challenge anybody,” the 23-year-old former boxer said. “I see myself winning Olympic gold.”

A member of China’s gold medal-winning 4x100 relay team at the last Asian Games, Su said his silver was the result of hard work. “This silver medal didn’t come easily. The competition is really tough, so I had to make a lot of adjustments,” Su said.

China’s Wei Yongli won gold in the women’s 100 in 11.48, forcing defending champion Chisato Fukushima of Japan into second place just 0.01 behind. Olga Safronova of Kazakhstan was another 0.01 back in third. AP

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