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Mike Chan

The women’s javelin at the Asian Games is expected to go down to a battle between China’s Yan Ziyi and Japan’s Haruka Kitaguchi, and fans were given a glimpse of the fireworks they might expect in Nagoya this month.
Yan has dominated since the start of the year, throwing the second furthest distance of all time and regularly beating her rival, who took gold at the Paris Olympics two years ago.
Facing off at the World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest on Saturday, Yan again appeared to be heading for victory with an opening throw of 68.05 metres.
But the teenager showed visible discomfort in her right ankle when making her second attempt, and managed just 63.95m as her rhythm and power suffered as a result.
Kitaguchi exploded for a 68.92m throw in the same round to storm to first place, and while Yan opted for a third attempt her first was good enough for silver. Flor Ruiz of Colombia claimed third with a last-ditch 64.84m throw in the final round.

The Japanese star’s winning throw in Hungary not only surpassed her gold-medal performance of 65.80m by more than three metres, it also smashed her national record of 67.38m, which was set in 2023.
“The competition was very hard as the girls have been throwing far this season,” Kitaguchi said. “I dream and believe I have a chance every competition, and I threw a national record today to win the ultimate title and it feels wonderful. It has just been an amazing day.”
Coached by men’s record holder Jan Zelezny, Kitaguchi missed last year’s World Championships in Tokyo, but said her performance in Hungary showed she was back to her best.
Yan, meanwhile, left the field in a wheelchair, although coach Lu Xiurong said the injury did not appear to be serious.
“She’s fine, she’s all right,” Lu told Chinese media. “Her bones aren’t injured. The X-ray results are just out, and she’s OK. Thank you everyone for your concern for Yan Ziyi.”
Before competing at the Ultimate Championships, the 18-year-old Zhejiang native had maintained a 100 per cent record in five outings in the Diamond League this year, including a 71.74m throw in Xiamen which smashed the under-20 world record as well as the Asian record in May.
An Olympic champion and a former world champion, Kitaguchi said she knew her throw “would go so far” the moment the javelin left her hand.
“To be honest, at the start of this season, I wasn’t in a position where I could even think about the Japanese record,” she said. “I don’t think I am perfect yet, so I want to aim even higher.
“I will be competing next at the Asian Games in my home country so I need to save some energy for that. It will be hard but my confidence in throwing is rising and I hope to show it at home.”
The Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya run from September 19 to October 4, with the women’s javelin final set for September 27, at the Paloma Mizuho Sports Park, which will also be the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies.


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Sport

China

Yan Ziyi has dominated much of the season, but ankle trouble left her trailing Olympic champion Haruka Kitaguchi at Ultimate Championships


Yan Ziyi has dominated much of the season, but ankle trouble left her trailing Olympic champion Haruka Kitaguchi at Ultimate Championships.


Javelin star’s injury scare adds extra spice to China v Japan battle for Asian Games gold

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Yan Ziyi has dominated much of the season, but ankle trouble left her trailing Olympic champion Haruka Kitaguchi at Ultimate Championships

Yan Ziyi has dominated much of the season, but ankle trouble left her trailing Olympic champion Haruka Kitaguchi at Ultimate Championships