INCHEON - Japan's Kosuke Hagino starred in the Asian Games swimming with his second and third gold medals on Monday as Chinese superstar Sun Yang was sidelined with an injured thumb. Although China took firm control of the medals table on day three, Hagino helped keep China's men winless after two nights of swimming as he again stole the spotlight.
Hagino smashed the Asian record with a time of one minute, 55.34 seconds to win the 200 metres individual medley, more than three seconds ahead of team-mate Hiromasa Fujimori. And he swam the second leg as Japan easily won the 4x200m freestyle relay ahead of China, missing Sun who hurt his thumb in Sunday's 200m freestyle loss to Hagino. "We're leading China now and if we all take care of our personal targets we could end up in a good place," said Hagino, with Japan 7-5 ahead in pool wins.
The 20-year-old, who beat his role model Michael Phelps at last month's Pan Pacific championships, has now won four medals after his bronze in Sunday's 100m backstroke. Attention will now focus on Sun's hurt thumb as the Olympic champion prepares for Tuesday's showdown with Hagino and South Korean poster boy Park Tae-Hwan in the 400m freestyle. Sun's coach Zhang Yadong told China's Xinhua news agency: "He will not quit. All strong men grow up in disadvantaged environment."
Despite Sun's problems, day three in Incheon belonged to China as they swept 14 golds in badminton, wushu, synchronised swimming, cycling, fencing, shooting, gymnastics and weightlifting. China, who won a record 199 gold medals in 2010, now sit 12 clear of South Korea with 26, and 370 titles still in play before Asia's Olympics close on October 4.
China beat South Korea to take the women's team badminton in a fierce battle which saw Korea's top seed break down in tears at her defeat. The Chinese favourites defeated the hosts 3-0 overall in a scoreline which belied the Koreans' brave performances. Distraught Sung Ji-Hyun could not contain her grief after losing to top seed Li Xuerui in a 2-1 duel, having never taken a game off the world number one in seven previous meetings.
In the men's team semi-final, Malaysia's world number one Lee Chong Wei slumped to a 2-1 defeat to China's Chen Long in a repeat of last month's world championships final. China won again. China's women's shooters set a new world record in the 10 metres team air rifle but only after the disqualification of Zhang Binbin was overturned. Organisers did not reveal details of Zhang's ban or reinstatement, which resulted in China taking the gold medal with a record score of 1,253.8 points.
A relieved Zhang went on to take bronze in the individual event, where Iranian teenager Najmeh Khedmati won gold ahead of her friend and team-mate Narjes Emamgholinejad.
"I was very sad when I was told I was disqualified, but my team-mates and coaches backed me and said they would appeal," she told reporters. "I just needed to control my emotions going into the final."
It meant disappointment for Iran, who had already been declared winners prior to the appeal but had to settle for silver. But they hit back with a one-two in the individual event led by Khedmati, 18, who beat a strong field including reigning world and Olympic champion Yi Siling. Myanmar made its mark with two gold medals in sepak takraw, Southeast Asia's distinctive volleyball-style sport played with the feet and a rattan ball.
Ri Jong-Hwa claimed North Korea's third weightlifting gold in the women's 58kg class, following Om Yun-Chol and Kim Un-Guk's record lifts at the Moonlight Festival Garden arena. Olympic champion Lin Qingfeng earned China's first weightlifting gold in the men's 69kg, and China easily won the women's team gymnastics competition.

MEDALS TABLE

Country    gold    silver    bronze    total
China    26    14    18    58
South Korea    14    15    16    45
Japan    13    13    16    42
Mongolia    3    3    6    12
North Korea    3    3    4    10
Kazakhstan    2    2    5    9
Myanmar    2    0    0    2
Vietnam    1    2    4    7
Iran    1    2    0    3
Taiwan    1    1    5    7
Malaysia    1    1    2    4
Hong Kong    1    0    6    7
India    1    0    5    6
Indonesia    0    3    1    4
Macau    0    3    0    3
Kuwait    0    2    0    2
Uzbekistan    0    1    4    5
Singapore    0    1    3    4
Laos    0    1    0    1
Lebanon    0    1    0    1
Turkmenistan    0    1    0    1
Thailand    0    0    2    2
Iraq    0    0    1    1