Japanese Teenager Rikako Ikee Sets Record With 6 Golds in Swimming
Jakarta, Aug 25 : Japan and China finished all square in the swimming gold medal tally at the Asian Games in a key dress rehearsal for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
China needed to win Friday's last race to tie Japan on 19 golds in the pool and they did it, pinching the men's 4x100-metre medley relay by four-hundredths of a second in 3 minutes and 29.99 seconds.
China's world champion backstroker Xu Jiayu picked up his fifth gold medal, only the second male swimmer to win five at a single Asian Games, when he swam the lead-off leg in the relay. But he was still outshone for the top individual honors of the meet.
That went to the Japanese teenager Rikako Ikee, whose performances with six gold medals and eight overall this week suggest she may be one of the host-nation's biggest drawcards at the Tokyo Olympics.
No other woman in any sport has ever accrued more than five medals at a single Asian Games. The only competitor to have won more than her is North Korean shooter So Gin Man.
So won seven golds at the 1982 Asian Games and eight medals overall. Ikee fell one short of So's golden tally but matched his overall medal haul, and did it the hard way.
Showing no signs of giving up despite racing in high-pressure sprints every day, Ikee saved her best for last with a victory in the 50 freestyle final in 24.53, an Asian Games record.
China's Liu Xiang, who broke the 50 backstroke world record a few days earlier, went stroke for stroke with Ikee down the entire length only to touch a fraction later in 24.60.
"I really hate losing," Ikee said. "I think it was just my willpower that helped me win. "I was really hurting in the last few meters but I just concentrated on the touch and luckily I got there first, but I used up all my energy I had."
Yasuhiro Koseki completed the men's breaststroke treble for Japan when he won the 50 in 27.07. And although the two region's sporting superpowers finished level on swimming golds, Japan won more overall medals in the pool than China, 52-50.
The next closest countries were Singapore and South Korea, who managed six each. Joseph Schooling, the Olympic 100 butterfly champion, won his country's two golds. South Korea picked up its first swimming gold in Jakarta when Kim Seo-yeong took out the women's 200 individual medley.
Sun Yang and Wang Jianjiahe, China's unstoppable freestylers, each finished with four golds after winning their last events.
Just 16, Wang added the 400 to her earlier victories in the 800, 1,500 and 4x200 relay. Sun, the former world swimmer of the year, won the 1,500 in 14:58.53, slow by his standards, but still a significant win as it saw him complete an unprecedented sweep of the 200, 400, 800 and 1,500 events.
"This is my third straight 1,500-meter freestyle gold medal at the Asian Games, which means 12 years. It is so difficult to achieve that,"Sun said. "I hope the four gold and two silver medals I won here would become an inspiration for me to work harder, because I want to achieve even better results in the future.
"To be honest, the pressure on me before the races was huge. But I managed to cope with it and held on till the end."
Sun said he was content with his six medals, including two in relays, and “the achievement here would definitely be a boost to my future races.”
The three-time Olympic champion Sun offered to help the team out in the relays even though it took the edge of his preferred distance races.
"If you participate in multiple events, there is more responsibility on your shoulders. I participated in many events to be a role model for young athletes," he said. "The competition between China and Japan is not over. It will last till the 2020 Olympics.
"We must learn the lessons and avoid the mistakes from these games."
Courtesy : thequint.com
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Messi mania grips Kolkata as thousands welcome Argentine icon at 2.26 am
Kolkata (PTI): Thousands braved the December chill and waited past midnight to give a rousing welcome to Argentine superstar footballer Lionel Messi as he arrived in Kolkata for his whirlwind three-day, four-city GOAT India Tour 2025.
The Barcelona legend's 2.26 am touchdown in the early hours of Saturday sent the city into a frenzy. Gate 4 of the international arrivals turned into a roaring sea of chants, flags and flashing phones, with fans sprinting between gates for even a fleeting glimpse of their favourite star.
Children perched on shoulders and drums rolled as Messi was whisked out through the VIP gate under massive security. A heavy convoy then escorted him to his hotel, where another huge crowd was waiting deep into the night.
Barricades, police deployment, and non-stop cheering completed a citywide eruption of "Messi mania."
Messi arrived with long-time strike partner Luis Suárez and Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul. Over the next 72 hours, he will zip across Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi, meeting chief ministers, corporate leaders, Bollywood celebrities and eventually Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.
Sleepless wait ends in disappointment
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Despite keeping vigil through the night, the wait ended in disappointment for many fans as they could not catch a glimpse of their icon.
Heavy security meant Messi was whisked out of the airport and taken to his hotel around 3.30 am through a back entrance, giving hundreds of waiting supporters a complete miss.
Only a handful of lucky airport staff managed a fleeting glimpse of the Argentine superstar as he stepped off the private Gulfstream V, looking dapper in a black suit over a white T-shirt, before being driven straight off the tarmac.
The Hyatt Regency lobby turned chaotic as fans sprinted across corridors shouting "Messi! Messi!" that echoed well past dawn.
The lobby resembled an Argentine fan club, dotted with sky-blue jerseys, scarves and flags. Breast-feeding infants clung to mothers, children raced around, and exhausted supporters sank into lobby sofas as the frenzy built up.
Messi checked into Room 730, with the entire seventh floor sealed off to ensure no movement around his suite.
With security at its peak, some fans who could afford it booked rooms in the hotel to stay as close to Messi as possible.
A family from New Alipore checked in a day early just so that their son, Krish Gupta, a Cristiano Ronaldo fan, would not miss a Messi moment.
"I'm a die-hard Ronaldo fan, so what? His biggest rival is coming to my city and I cannot miss the moment. So we planned to stay in the hotel a day in advance," said Krish, a Class 9 student of Birla High School.
He roamed the coffee shop with his mother and elder sister, anxious for a peek at the icon.
"I just want to tell him to play football with me. And if I'm not successful, I will go to the gym tomorrow morning to catch a glimpse of him. I have my autograph book ready and hopefully I will get a selfie."
High hopes
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Satadru Dutta, the sole promoter of the tour who received Messi at the airport, said the moment was historic for Kolkata.
"In 2011, he had come after becoming the captain, but now he is coming after winning the World Cup and his eighth Ballon d'Or. So, this is really special. I don't think he will come again, so it's about celebration," Dutta told reporters.
He said Messi's presence could give Indian football a real push.
"Never ever have so many sponsors come together for a football star. You can say this is for Messi, but even if 10 per cent of that money comes to the development of Indian football, it would be very big. This statue that has come up and will be unveiled in the morning is also the first-of-its-kind in the world. Messi is set to leave a legacy behind this time," he added.
Security was tightened across the city ahead of Messi's GOAT India Tour, with policemen at every crossing, sniffer dogs checking vehicles and heightened surveillance around the hotel.
Staff were busy preparing the themed decor, including two large three-layered fondant cakes in Christmas colours.
Outside the airport and later near the hotel, massive crowds braved the winter chill to welcome Messi.
Fans waved Argentina flags and jerseys, screamed his name and broke into chants as emotions ran high, some clapping, some crying, many overwhelmed at witnessing a once-in-a-generation legend in their city.
The Hyatt Regency became the epicentre of the frenzy, with street vendors selling scarves, flags and Messi No 10 jerseys.
A few fans turned up in wigs and full Argentine colours. "This is a lifetime opportunity. We will not sleep tonight and will head straight to the stadium in the morning. Today is celebration day," said one fan.
The Itinerary
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Messi begins his GOAT India Tour on Saturday with a sponsors' meet-and-greet before heading to the Salt Lake Stadium for a tribute programme featuring music, dance and an exhibition match between Mohun Bagan 'Messi' All Stars and Diamond Harbour 'Messi' All Stars.
He is scheduled to arrive at 10.50 am for interactions with both teams, a felicitation of Bengal's Santosh Trophy-winning side and a "Master Class with Messi" for kids. Luis Suárez, Rodrigo De Paul and Shah Rukh Khan will join the proceedings, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and other dignitaries invited.
Messi will take a lap of honour before a virtual unveiling of his 70-foot statue at Lake Town.
He will then depart for Hyderabad at 2.05 pm for the evening leg at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, featuring a short exhibition match, a five-minute appearance by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, a football clinic and felicitation.
He then heads to Mumbai for his event at the Wankhede. The leg will also feature a 45-minute philanthropic fashion event with Suárez and De Paul, preceded by a Padel Cup at the CCI.
The tour ends in Delhi where Messi will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Minerva Academy's triple youth-trophy winners will be felicitated, followed by a nine-a-side celebrity match.
Kolkata's tryst with footballers
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Kolkata's bond with football royalty dates back to 1977 when Pele's New York Cosmos played a 2-2 draw against Mohun Bagan at Eden Gardens.
Pele returned in 2015 to greet the class of '77, telling the crowd: "You can never have another Pele."
Brazil's Dunga, Bebeto and Mauro Silva, and Colombia's René Higuita who showcased his scorpion-kick saves in 2012 all drew big turnouts. German great Oliver Kahn's 2008 farewell match at Salt Lake Stadium pulled more than one lakh spectators.
But no one stirred the city like Diego Maradona, whose 2008 and 2017 visits saw near-unprecedented crowds line the streets and stadiums. Uruguay's Diego Forlán, fresh from his Golden Ball win, received a similarly rousing welcome in 2010.
Then in 2011, Messi had visited the city captaining Argentina for the first time on foreign soil, leading them to a 1-0 win over Venezuela in an FIFA international friendly before a packed Salt Lake Stadium.
