Athletics stars carry kingdom’s proud Asian Games tradition forward

TDT | Manama

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Bahrain’s golden legacy on the Asian Games track rolled on in Aichi-Nagoya yesterday as Winfred Yavi and the mixed 4x400 metres relay team delivered a stirring double triumph on the opening day of competition.

Yavi set the tone at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium, capturing the women’s 10,000m crown in 32 minutes 39.18 seconds.

The reigning Olympic champion made her move late in the race and held off Japan’s Nozomi Tanaka down the home straight, crossing 2.36 seconds clear of the home favourite, who took silver in 32:41.54. India’s Seema secured bronze in 32:50.05.

Compatriot Ruth Jebet, who had spent long spells at the front and led at the 4,000m, 6,000m and 8,000m marks, eventually finished fifth in 33:22.21.

For Yavi, the victory extended an outstanding Asian Games record. It was the 26-year-old’s fourth career gold, adding to her 3,000m steeplechase triumph at Jakarta 2018 and her 1,500m and steeplechase double at Hangzhou 2023.

Record Defence

The celebrations were far from over.

Musa Isah, Aisha Abdullah, Alaa Sami and Salwa Eid Naser brought the curtain down on the night in spectacular fashion, successfully defending the mixed 4x400m title with a new Games record.

The quartet powered home in 3:12.87, wiping more than a second off the 3:14.02 mark set by Bahrain at the previous edition.

India took silver in 3:14.46, narrowly ahead of bronze medallists Vietnam in 3:14.54.

The result extended the kingdom’s grip on the event after Naser and Isah were also part of the victorious quartet in Hangzhou three years ago.

The same four runners had earlier underlined their credentials by winning their morning heat in 3:15.73, the quickest time across the two races.

Sprinters Advance

Elsewhere, all four Bahraini entrants in the 100m progressed to today’s semi-finals.

Raihanah Garoubah produced a personal-best 11.44 seconds to win her women’s heat, while Edidiong Odiong followed suit with victory in 11.48.

Abdulraof Rashed booked his place in the men’s semi-finals after finishing second in his heat in 10.39, with Ali Haji also advancing after clocking 10.37.

The quartet return today, with the women’s semi-finals beginning at 1.13pm and the men’s races getting underway at 1.33pm, Bahrain time.

More Medals Beckon

Attention will then turn to the men’s 10,000m final at 2.32pm, where defending champion Birhanu Balew lines up alongside compatriot Albert Kiptoo.

Naser will be back on the track at 3.15pm to begin her individual women’s 400m campaign, an event in which she won Asian Games gold in 2018, before Isah contests the men’s 400m at 3.59pm.

Yavi, meanwhile, has little time to rest on her latest success. She returns for the women’s 3,000m steeplechase final on Sunday before taking aim at the 5,000m crown on Monday.