by sportswriter Li Jia
NAGOYA, Japan, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Following mounting complaints about transportation and accommodation disruptions at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, the mayor of Nagoya apologized Wednesday for the inconveniences experienced by athletes. Meanwhile, China dominated the diving competition, sweeping all 10 gold medals on offer and securing the nation's milestone 100th Asian Games diving gold.
Addressing the situation, Nagoya Mayor Ichiro Hirosawa formally apologized to athletes for the "inconveniences" at the Games following a series of complaints. The Asiad has faced logistical problems, including a shortage of beds and transportation failures, prompting criticism of the organizers' handling of the Games.
"We must offer our apologies to the athletes and others affected by these inconveniences," said Hirosawa, who also serves as deputy president of the local organizing committee.
"We must sincerely reflect on the mishandling that occurred," he added. "There were human errors and a lack of communication with the national teams. We are responding based on what has happened."
Led by their all-conquering divers, China extended its lead atop the medal table with 150 gold, 66 silver and 59 bronze medals. Japan was second with 50 gold, 76 silver and 73 bronze, followed by South Korea with 24 gold, 30 silver and 48 bronze.
Olympic champions Chen Yiwen and Lian Junjie each won gold in the final two diving events of the day, completing China's 14th consecutive clean sweep of gold medals at the Asian Games.
China has won every diving gold medal since its first Asiad appearance in 1974, with Lian's victory in the men's 10m platform bringing up the 100th consecutive Games gold medal for his nation in the sport.
However, the milestone victory was not an easy one for Lian, who finished only 4.05 points ahead of silver medalist Rikuto Tamai of Japan in a tight battle for the top spot. Meanwhile, China's 15-year-old Zhao Renjie took bronze in his Asiad debut.
"The men's platform is an extremely difficult event, and I had prepared myself for all kinds of circumstances. I am very happy to win China's 100th Asian Games diving gold. It means a great deal to me," Lian said.
"This milestone was made possible by the efforts of our predecessors, built up little by little over generations. Their work has given us the sense of mission and responsibility that we carry today," he added.
Earlier in the day, Chen Yiwen retained her title in the women's 3m springboard. Chen Jia took silver, while Japan's Sayaka Mikami finished with bronze.
Meanwhile, in water polo, China's men thrashed Thailand 26-4 to set up a semifinal clash with Kazakhstan while defending champion Japan will take on Iran in the other semifinal.
On the football pitch, China took an early lead but ultimately lost 2-1 to South Korea in the men's semifinal, missing out on a place in the final.
At the velodrome, China set new Asian records in both the women's and men's team pursuits to win three gold medals in track cycling. In the women's team pursuit final, the Chinese quartet won in 4:08.818, lowering the previous Asian record of 4:09.438. In the men's final, China clocked 3:47.621 to break the previous Asian record of 3:48.127. The women's keirin title also went to China as Yuan Liying produced a powerful late surge to overtake her rivals and claim gold.
Over in canoe slalom, Hu Zhaoshan won the men's kayak single title, while Huang Juan claimed the women's canoe single gold medal.
In archery, China finished with silver in both the men's and women's compound team finals, with India securing the two golds.
In the sport climbing men's boulder event, China missed the podium as Pan Yufei took fourth and Hu Junzhe came sixth. Japan's Sorato Anraku won the title.
In women's hockey, China reached the final after beating Japan 4-2 in a shootout in the semifinals.
On the tennis courts, China will have two players in the women's singles semifinals after Wang Xiyu and Zhang Shuai knocked out both of the host nation's quarterfinalists at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center.
Elsewhere, the judo competition kicked off with China taking three bronzes in the men's 66kg, women's 52kg, and men's 60kg categories. ■
