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Gold medalist Jiao Liuyang of China (C), silver medalist Tao Li of Singapore and bronze...
China won four swimming gold medals and Japan two in a fierce duel in the pool at the Asian Games on Saturday.The two rivals shared all the medals bar one in individual competition, with Li Tao from Singapore clinching silver in the women's 100 metres butterfly.
The gold in the 100 butterfly went to Jiao Liuyang, who, having never won an Asian games medal before, secured a second within half an hour as China dominated the women's 4x100 metres medley relay.
However, Jiao was not enthused by her performance. "I am not that satisfied with the result...I am stronger at 200 metres butterfly," she told reporters.
Japan's Takeshi Matsuda, who shaves his head before a race, won gold in the men's 200m butterfly. He had been the silver and bronze medallist respectively in previous Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, in 2006 and Busan, South Korea, in 2002.
"I have been waiting for this medal for eight years," he said.
Japan's other gold medal went to Yuya Horihata in the men's 400m individual medley. Horihata held off the close challenge of three rivals to storm home ahead of China's Huang Chaosheng by 0.03 seconds.
"Breaststroke is my strongest but that did not give me enough advantage," Huang said. "That was the regret which also means I have room for improvement."
China achieved a one-two in both the women's 200m freestyle and women's 50m breaststroke. Beijing Olympian Zhu Qianwei took gold in her first Asian Games in the 200 free, and Wang Randi followed up with first place in the 50 breaststroke.
"I think my opponents felt the pressure of the public while I felt relaxed," Wang said.
China and Japan claimed 16 gold medals apiece in swimming at the 2006 Doha Games.
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