HONG KONG, December 6. THE first day of long course meter competition at the East Asian Games produced an Asian record.
China's Chen Huijia lowered the Asian record in the women's 50 breast with a time of 30.46. She broke the Asian and Chinese record of 30.64 set by Luo Xuejuan back in 2003 at the World Championships in Barcelona. She also broke the Games record of 31.67 set by Luo in 2005. Teammate Wang Randi took second in 30.64, while Japan's Satomi Suzuki completed the podium in 31.63.
Japan's Tomoyo Fukuda opened the meet with a Games-record time of 2:09.30 in the women's 200 back. She beat He Cihong's 1993 meet record of 2:09.90. China's Bai Anqi took second in 2:09.54, while Japan's Miyuki Takemura wound up third in 2:12.15.
Japan's Ryo Tateishi posted a 1:00.06 in the men's 100 breast to smash Kosuke Kitajima's 2001 Games record of 1:02.00. Korea's Kyu Woong Choi placed second in 1:01.00 with China's Wang Shuai taking third in 1:01.33. Choi beat the Korean record of 1:02.86 set by Seung Hun You back in 2005.
China's Li Zhesi followed with a Games record in the women's 100 free. She posted a 54.24 to beat Pang Jiaying's 2005 mark of 54.65. Compatriot Tang Yi touched second in 54.82, while Hong Kong's Hannah Wilson took third in 55.13.
Japan's Yosuke Mori beat teammate Yuma Kosaka, 1:58.82 to 1:59.74, in the men's 200 IM as both smashed Mori Takahiro's 2001 meet record of 2:02.25. Korea's Mingyu Kim also beat the former record with a third-place 2:00.41 to also claim the Korean record of 2:02.30 set by Kyu Chul Han in 2006.
China's Sun Yang won the men's 1500 free in 14:58.35. The time cleared the Games record of 15:00.27 set by Zhang Lin back in 2005. Japan's Yohsuke Miyamoto took second in 15:15.55, while Korea's Yonghwan Kang took third in 15:41.53.
China's Liu Zige shattered the Games record in the women's 200 fly with a 2:04.65. That swim beat the 2:10.26 set by Japan's Yuko Nakanishi back in 2001. She also closed within striking distance of her own Asian record of 2:03.90 set at the World Championships this year. Teammate Jiao Liuyang placed second in 2:06.07 with Nakanishi taking third in 2:09.32.
Japan's Sho Uchida, Shunsuke Kuzuhara, Hiroaki Yamamoto and Yoshihiro Okumura won the men's 800 free relay in 7:10.16. The time crushed the Games record of 7:22.83 set by China in 2005. China's Zhang, Li Yunqi, Shi Tengfei and Sun took second in 7:20.21. Korea's Sangjin Jang, Joonmo Bae, Kang and Minkyu Park placed third in 7:25.05.
Special thanks to Swimming World Chinese correspondent Christopher Chow for contributing to this report.