|

China's Xie Zhenye (L) dashes to win the men's 100m race at the Hangzhou Asian Games September 30, 2023. [Photo by Wei Xiaohao/chinadaily.com.cn]

China's sprinters stole the show at the Hangzhou Asian Games on Saturday, with Xie Zhenye and Ge Manqi winning the men's and women's 100m finals respectively.

Xie, the 200m Asian record holder, stormed to victory in 9.97 seconds, tying his personal best and this year's Asian leading time held by Japan's Sani Brown.

"To break the 10-second barrier has been my goal for almost a whole year, and I have been reflecting on why I kept missing it. Today, in front of my home crowd, I finally made it," said an elated Xie.

However, as the wind speed behind him exceeded 2 meters per second, Xie's winning time could not land him a spot for next year's Paris Olympics, where the entry standard for the men's 100m is 10 seconds.

"I saw the wind thing, but I don't have anything to complain about today. My result is there, so see you guys next year I guess," said the 30-year-old.

Xie, who holds the national leading time in both 100m and 200m this year, is considered as China's top medal hope after Su Bingtian withdrew from the 2023 season due to health issues.

Boonson Puripol of Thailand took silver in 10.02, followed by Muhammad Azeem Bin Mohd Fahmi of Malaysia in 10.11.