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Sudha Singh celebrates with her gold medal after the women's 300m steeplechase at the 16th...
In a standout day for Indian athletes on Sunday after a disappointing medal haul at the Asian Games so far, their runners claimed symbolic victories over China in the women's 10,000m and 3000m steeplechase.With India failing to build on their golden run at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi last month, their athletes finally produced several inspiring runs.
Inside the cavernous 80,000 seater Aoti Main Stadium, Preeja Sreedharan broke China's longstanding stranglehold in the women's 10,000m.
Her gritty sprint finish to overtake Bahrain's ****aya Eshete Habtegebrel in a time of 31:50.47 was both a personal best and India's first Asian gold in the event.
Her compatriot Kavita Raut clinched the silver ahead of Habtegebrel.
The pre-race money had been on China's marathon world champion Bai Xue, but Bai only managed eighth after fading towards the end.
That meant China and Japan had failed to win any silverware in the event for the first time at any Asian Games.
In an electric 3000m women's steeplechase, Sudha Singh seemed well on the way to victory after clearing the final water hazard but Yuan Jin of China accelerated down the final stretch to nearly catch her.
The Indian, however, somehow found a last burst of strength to fend off the Chinese in a photo finish.
"I didn't expect to win. She was very close at the finish," said the Indian amateur who works for a railway company.
The long-haired and slender Jin was philosophical in defeat. "Sometimes I hope for miracles but this time a miracle didn't happen," she said.
It was not all disappointment for the Chinese, however, with Wang Hao, their 21-year-old World Cup walking champion scooping the first athletics gold of the games in the 20km walk.
On a hot and humid morning, Wang ended the race strongly but was helped by the disqualification of one-time leader Park Chilsung of South Korea after he made three technical infringements. China's Chu Yafei took silver.
"You know Chinese athletes have some advantages in race walking. We are smaller and lighter," said Wang after his win.
Tajikistan won their first gold medal at the Games with defending hammer champion Dilshod Nazarov once again outpowering his rivals with a throw of 76.44 metres.
In the women's shotput, Li Ling won gold for China's ninth straight victory in the event, equalling Japan's longest winning streak in a single athletics event, for the pole vault which they won from 1951 to 1982.
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