A military strike by North Korea on a South Korean island weighed on Korean athletes in Guangzhou on Tuesday, as Africans running for adopted nations swept the middle-distance track titles at the Asian Games.
On a day when China equalled their 2006 Asian Games record gold-medal tally, news of the worst military attack by North Korea on the South in decades rippled through Korean sports teams at the multi-sport event.
“No more bombing,” urged Park Won-hah, a doctor for South Korean athletes inside Guangzhou’s Aoti Main Stadium. “Most of the Korean athletes would be worried about this situation.”
The Olympic Council of Asia, however, said that the attack, in which North Korea shelled a South Korean island, destroying buildings and killing two soldiers, had nothing to do with sport and they would not comment.
Despite the high political temperature, there were symbolic gestures between athletes from different sides of the border.
South Korea’s Yun Ok-hee, who clinched the individual archery gold, said she normally avoided politics but appealed for peace and praised North Korean archer Kwon Un-sil.
“In archery, the North Korean and South Korean athletes are good friends. We get along very well,” said Yun, who shoots with a signature pink crossbow. “I cheered for North Korea in the bronze-medal match and was very happy when she won.”
In track and field, Africans running for adopted Gulf nations swept to victory in middle-distance events. Bahrain’s Ethiopia-born 1,500m world champion Maryam Jamal defended her title, while Tareq Mubarak Taher, a Kenya-born athlete, took the men’s 3,000m steeplechase.
“Of course I am from Africa and I represent Bahrain and I feel good also,” Jamal, formerly known as Zenebech Tola, said.
On the rugby pitch, defending champions Japan romped home after staving off a gutsy challenge from Hong Kong to take the gold medal with a 28-21 victory, with Koji Wada running in eight tries over a blinding tournament.
Kazakhstan beat China 17-14 to win the women’s gold.
“Yes, we will celebrate,” said Svetlana Klyuchnikova.
For compatriot Galina Dolgushina, however, it was a tougher day. The Kazakh was knocked unconscious after falling from her horse during the equestrian leg of the modern pentathlon.
Her horse broke its neck and had to be put down. Dolgushina escaped serious injury but was taken to a local hospital.
In a colourful debut for roller sports at the Games, competitors zoomed around a track on roller blades in a dry-land version of speed skating on a smoggy, warm day.
“It’s vivid and magical to see those racers in the flesh,” said South Korean gold medallist An Yi-seul, who won the 300m time trial race just before the military strike on her country.
At the end of the day, China’s gold medal tally stood at 165, tying their record golden haul at the Doha games four years ago, with four more days of competition to go.
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