Published by: Prakhar Sachdeo
Image: Reuters
The Asian Games officially kick off on Saturday in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, a year later than planned due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some of the top athletes looking to lay down a marker a year out from the Paris Olympics
Image: Reuters
Image: Reuters
Hangzhou will be his second Asian Games in China, having won the event at Guangzhou in 2010 as a 19-year-old and then defending the title four years later at Incheon. Barshim is the owner of the second highest jump in history at 2.43m.
China's Qin stormed to an unprecedented treble in the men's 50, 100 and 200m breaststroke at July's world championships. The 24-year-old is now gunning for British great Adam Peaty's 100m world record of 56.88 seconds. Qin will look to repeat the Fukuoka treble in front of home fans and also win the 200m individual medley.
Image: Reuters
Neeraj Chopra is the regining Olympic and World Champion. He also won the gold medal at the last Asian Games. In Hangzhou his battle with friend cum rival Arshad Nadeem will be the one to watch out for.
Image: Reuters
Image: Reuters
Even at just 20, Yin is no stranger to the Asian Games, the recently crowned women's world number one having won team bronze as a teenage schoolgirl at Jakarta in 2018. Yin heads into the Asian Games in fine form, having claimed her first major win at the Women’s PGA Championship in June, less than three months after her maiden LPGA Tour win at the LA Open.
South Korea's Lee Sang-hyeok, better known by his gaming handle 'Faker', will be one of the biggest drawcards at Hangzhou as esports makes its Asian Games debut. He is dubbed as the 'Michael Jordan of e-sports. A high school drop-out Faker will anchor his nation's bid for gold in League's team event at Hangzhou.
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Towering southpaw Bakodir Jalolov won the super-heavyweight gold at the Tokyo Olympics. Jalolov, who carried Uzbekistan’s flag at the last two Summer Olympics, has built an unbeaten 13-0 record as a professional. He will be strongly favoured to win gold in the super-heavyweight (+92kg) division in Hangzhou on the way to defending his Olympic gold at Paris next year.
Image: Reuters