NAGOYA - Japan's Asian Games campaign produced another day of records and medals on September 23, with Shoon Mitsunaga setting a national record to win the men's 100-meter butterfly, both Japanese gymnastics teams taking silver behind China, and Toshikazu Yamanishi adding to the host nation's athletics medal haul.
Away from the Games, the professional baseball pennant races entered their final stages, with Hanshin fighting to retain its Central League lead and SoftBank approaching the Pacific League championship.
The fifth day of the Asian Games brought a particularly intense contest between Japan and China, whose athletes met in swimming, gymnastics and athletics. China's 13-year-old swimming sensation Yu Zidi completed a remarkable hat trick of individual gold medals, while its men's and women's gymnastics teams narrowly defeated Japan in front of home spectators.
Japan's September 23 sporting program extended well beyond the principal medal events, with competition across rowing, fencing, table tennis, shooting, cycling, combat sports and a wide range of other disciplines. The Asian Games will continue through October 4, with athletics beginning its seven-day program in Nagoya.
Japan's swimming successes were led by 21-year-old Mitsunaga, who won the men's 100-meter butterfly at Tokyo Aquatics Centre in 50.56 seconds, lowering the Japanese record from 50.81. Defending champion Katsuo Matsumoto also reached the podium, taking bronze and giving Japan two medals in the event.
The result was particularly striking given Mitsunaga's performance in the morning heats, when he qualified seventh in 52.54 seconds. His improvement in the final brought Japan its second successive Asian Games gold in the event.
Japan added three silver medals and another bronze in the pool. Rio Shirai finished second in the women's 100-meter backstroke, while 35-year-old Satomi Suzuki collected silver in the women's 100-meter breaststroke in a Games-record time of 1:05.83. Komi Kato took bronze in the same event, and Japan's mixed 4x100-meter medley relay team finished second. Suzuki's result was her 11th career Asian Games medal.
China's Yu Zidi provided the day's other major swimming story. The 13-year-old won the women's 400-meter individual medley in 4:28.56, setting a Games record and completing three victories in three individual events after earlier winning the 200-meter butterfly and 200-meter individual medley.
China also won the men's 200-meter freestyle through Zhang Zhanshuo and the women's 100-meter backstroke through Peng Xuwei.
Japan's gymnastics teams experienced remarkably similar outcomes in their two team finals, finishing second to China in both competitions.
In the men's final, China scored 259.095 points, finishing just over one point ahead of the Japanese team. Zhang Boheng secured the title with a strong horizontal bar routine after Japan had entered the final rotation with a chance to overturn China's lead.
Olympic champion Shinnosuke Oka, competing with a back injury, fell during his horizontal bar routine and received 12.966. Teammate Daiki Hashimoto produced strong performances on pommel horse and vault, but China retained the Asian Games team title for a third consecutive edition.
Japan also took silver in the women's competition, scoring 165.362 points against China's 166.462. The Japanese team comprised Aiko Sugihara, Rina Kishi, Misa Nishiyama, Mana Okamura and Haruka Nakamura. It was Japan's ninth successive Asian Games medal in the women's team event.
The results followed Sugihara's individual all-around gold on September 22, the first by a Japanese woman at the Asian Games. The women's team will now turn its attention to the world championships in the Netherlands in October.
Soft tennis supplied two more gold medals for Japan. Toshiki Uematsu won the men's singles title, with fellow Japanese player Takuya Kurosaka taking silver, while Reina Tenma captured the women's singles championship.
Japan also secured medals across several less-publicized sports. Nanoka Kida took silver in the women's jianshu and qiangshu combined event in wushu. The equestrian eventing team earned silver, with Olympic veteran Yoshiaki Oiwa adding an individual bronze, while cyclist Yudai Todome finished third in the men's road race.
Athletics opened its program with the men's and women's half-marathon race walks. Japan's two-time world champion Toshikazu Yamanishi finished second in the men's competition behind China's Shi Shengji, who broke away after the 10-kilometer mark. China also won the women's race through Yang Liujing.
The athletics program, running through September 29 at Mizuho Park in Nagoya, will bring further Japanese contenders into action as track and field joins swimming, gymnastics and other established medal-producing sports.
Japan's team-sport campaigns also advanced significantly on September 23. The men's under-21 soccer team defeated Thailand 3-0 at Toyota Stadium to complete the group stage with three victories and no goals conceded. Yotaro Nakajima opened the scoring in the 31st minute before Keita Kosugi and Hisatsugu Ishii added two goals in quick succession early in the second half.
Japan had previously beaten Hong Kong 2-0 and Kyrgyzstan 7-0. The victory over Thailand secured first place in Group A and set up a September 26 quarterfinal against North Korea, which qualified from Group B after defeating Iran 4-1. Japan is seeking its first men's Asian Games soccer title since 2010.
The women's table tennis team also reached the final, defeating South Korea 3-0 in its semifinal at Sky Hall Toyota. Hina Hayata and Miwa Harimoto were among the players who helped Japan advance to a second consecutive Asian Games team final. Japan will face defending champion China on September 24, seeking its first women's team gold since the 1966 Bangkok Games.
Asian Games baseball produced another emphatic Japanese result as the corporate-league national team defeated the Philippines 7-0 at Toyohashi Municipal Stadium.
Japan scored twice in the second inning and three times in the third before adding another two runs in the sixth. Koya Yano and Masami Soeda each hit a two-run home run, while starting pitcher Kenta Nagano and reliever Kato combined to hold the Philippines to three hits. Japan completed its opening-round campaign unbeaten after earlier defeating China 11-3 and Palestine 15-0.
The three victories gave Japan first place in Group A and a place in the Super Round on September 25 and 26. The medal games are scheduled for September 27. Japan is attempting to win its first Asian Games baseball gold since 1994.
Japan's rowing team also reached an important milestone, with all 10 of its entered boats qualifying for their respective A finals despite heavy rain forcing changes to the competition schedule at the Nagaragawa International Regatta Course in Gifu Prefecture. The medal races are scheduled for September 24.
Outside the Asian Games, Hanshin strengthened its position at the top of the Central League with an 8-4 victory over Yakult at Jingu Stadium, extending its winning streak to four games.
Haruto Takahashi pitched six innings, allowing one run on five hits to record his league-leading 15th victory. Thirteen of those wins have come away from home, making him the first Hanshin pitcher to achieve that mark since Minoru Murayama in 1965.
The result was particularly important after the Tigers entered the day with a 1.5-game advantage over Yomiuri and a championship magic number of eight. The Giants remained in contention with a 2-1 victory over Hiroshima at Mazda Stadium.
SoftBank also moved closer to the Pacific League title, defeating Seibu 10-3 at Mizuho PayPay Dome in Fukuoka. The Hawks' latest victory came as Nippon-Ham lost 5-3 to Rakuten at Es Con Field Hokkaido. Orix defeated Lotte 1-0 at ZOZO Marine Stadium, with Ryoma Ikeda hitting his first career home run to provide the game's only run.
The day's other Central League result was a 4-3 victory for DeNA over Chunichi at Yokohama Stadium.
Soccer's domestic cup competition added another dimension to the day's schedule, with the Emperor's Cup continuing on September 23. All six J1 clubs facing J2 opposition advanced, including Kashima Antlers, for whom 18-year-old Minato Yoshida scored his first goal. Kashiwa Reysol also progressed with a victory over FC Imabari.
Grand sumo's September tournament reached its 11th day at Ryogoku Kokugikan, where yokozuna Onosato strengthened his position at the top of the championship race with a victory over sekiwake Fujinokawa. Onosato improved to 10 wins and one defeat, opening a two-victory advantage after all three wrestlers who had entered the day with two losses were beaten.
Ozeki Aonishiki defeated Takanosho to secure his eighth victory and a winning record. Sekiwake Atamifuji suffered his third defeat against ozeki Kirishima, while former ozeki Asanoyama improved to 8-3 with a victory over Kinbozan. With four days remaining, Onosato led a group of six wrestlers on three losses.
In Major League Baseball, attention surrounding Shohei Ohtani shifted toward his expected return to the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup after a spell on the injured list. Manager Dave Roberts confirmed on September 22 that Ohtani was scheduled to be reinstated on September 23 following treatment for knee and biceps problems. The Dodgers had already secured the National League West title and were preparing for the postseason.
Japan's September 23 sports program illustrated the breadth of the country's increasingly crowded autumn calendar, from national-record swimming performances and Asian Games medals to domestic baseball pennant races, international soccer, professional sumo and Japanese athletes competing overseas.
The next day of Asian Games competition will bring Japan's women's table tennis team into its final against China, rowing's medal races and the opening apparatus finals in artistic gymnastics, with further opportunities for the host nation to add to its medal total.
