If the Japanese had entertained any hopes of pushing the Chinese to the second slot, they were quickly dispelled as the day's competition began.

That the Chinese are here to just win and maintain their numero uno spot in the continent was best exemplified in the women's 5,000m, where they left behind Jiang Bo and Dong Yanmei. But they brought in Liu Shixiang, whose personal best of 14:32.33 clocked last year is the fastest ever after the two sitting back home. Shixiang seemed a little off-colour, but there was Wang Chunmei, touted as a future prospect who took the gold in 15:49.23s.

Chunmei stuck to leader Japan's UeokaMasae till almost the bell and then simply flew past. For almost 4,500m the five-runner lead pack had three Japanese and the two Chinese, Chunmei and Shixiang, who lay fifth in the group. Just before the bell was sounded Chunmei and Shixiang made their move and cantered home for a one-two, just as it had earlier been in long jump and shot put for women. And their only woman in the hammer field, Gu Yuan erased Japan's name from the Asian record book on her way to gold with 61.86m, as against veteran Aya Suzuki's nine-year-old mark of 61.20m. Suzuki was second this afternoon.

So, in a manner of speaking the Chinese women landed maximum possible medals with three gold-silver performances and one gold from seven competitors in four finals.

In the men's section, Andrey Abduvaliev duly took the gold. He was lying second for the first two rounds with a best of 72.68m as against Japanese Murofushi's 72.96m. But from the third round onwards Abduvaliev forged ahead and finally topped the day with 76.67m in the lastround.