Arkhangelskiy makes history Bahrain star strikes 50m butterfly gold in Asian record time

TDT | Manama

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Mikhail Arkhangelskiy delivered a historic breakthrough for Bahrain yesterday, storming to the kingdom’s first-ever Asian Games swimming gold with a sensational victory in the men’s 50 metres butterfly.

Just a day after missing the podium in the 100m butterfly, the 21-year-old returned to Tokyo Aquatics Centre and touched home in 22.91 seconds, equalling his own Asian record.

Arkhangelskiy finished 0.15s clear of Japan’s Shoon Mitsunaga, who took silver in 23.06s, while China’s Wang Changhao claimed bronze in 23.25s.

The triumph also secured Bahrain’s first gold medal of the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya and came after two agonising fourth-place finishes for the kingdom in the pool this week.

Stepan Goncharov had fallen 0.38s short of bronze in the men’s 50m backstroke on Monday, before Arkhangelskiy came within 0.38s of a medal in Wednesday’s 100m butterfly final after leading at the half-way point.

There was to be no repeat of that disappointment yesterday.

Arkhangelskiy had already signalled his intent in the morning heats, winning his race in 23.23s and qualifying second-fastest overall.

Mitsunaga led the way with a Games-record 23.19s, but the Bahraini turned the tables when it mattered most, shaving more than three-tenths off his qualifying time to take the title.

Elsewhere, Amani Al Obaidli placed 21st overall in the women’s 50m freestyle heats after clocking 27.40s. China’s Wu Qingfeng went on to win the event, ahead of Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey and compatriot Cheng Yujie.

Ahmed Helal was also in 50m butterfly action, finishing 33rd overall in 26.12s.

Robert Bonsall, meanwhile, took 15th place overall in the men’s 800m freestyle after completing Final B in 8:21.33. China’s Zhang Zhans硕an captured gold in a Games-record 7:42.48, while Japan’s Kaito Tabuchi and South Korea’s Kim Junwoo shared silver after both touched in 7:43.86.

Bahrain now head into today’s sixth and concluding day of swimming with four competitors in action. Asma Le Falher contests the women’s 50m butterfly heats, while Abdulla Jamal lines up in the men’s 80m breaststroke.

Se na Le Falher is entered in Final B of the women’s 800m freestyle before Bonsall returns to the pool for the men’s 400m freestyle heats.