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The following is issued on behalf of the 2009 East Asian Games (HK) Ltd.:
It started with red and it has ended with another brilliant display of that fiery colour.
On the day of the opening last weekend it was red all over, and today (December 13) that colour has returned with a vengeance on the final day of competitions in the Fifth East Asian Games.
China's athletes, resplendent in their crimson jersey, made their finishing lunge to put their national flag well and truly on top. Their record 232 medals after 12 days of hard-fought and deserved victory showed 113 gold, 73 silver and 46 bronze.
But the Games biggest surprise was the magnificent effort of the home team. Hong Kong, not only raised eyebrows but had officialdom musing with more ambitious plans for these glory boys and girls who rang the golden bells an astonishing 26 times.
The last day's action showed Chinese supremacy in the diving pools of Kowloon Park where four golds were on offer and all were in the bag, thanks to men's 10m platform – Zhang Yanquan; women's 10m platform – Wang Hao; men's 3m synchronised springboard – Luo Yutong and Wu Minghong; and the immaculate performance of Guo Jingjing and Wu Minxia in the women's 3m synchronised springboard. After their final jump they amassed a grand total of 357.60 points, well ahead of the Macau pair on 288.33.
Out on the sun-baked Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground -- scene of the Liu Xiang spectacle of a few days ago -- there was high drama and bitter tears as the 13 final golds were decided.
Young Fung Wai-yee, a Hong Kong high jumper, could not hold back her emotional outburst as she failed in her third attempt at 1.6 metres. The gold eventually went to Zheng Xingjuan of China with a leap of 1.88 metres.
It was again a case of China sharing the spoils with Japan with the occasional gate-crashers. These were women's half marathon going to Kim Kum Ok of Democratic People's Republic of Korea (PRK) and the men's 4x100 relay to Chinese Taipei.
Other Chinese golds were: women's javelin throw – Liu Chunhua; men's 3,000m steeplechase –Sun Wenli; women's 4x100 relay; and the women's 4x400 relay.
Japan also had its gold tally boosted with wins in the men's 4x400 relay; the women's 5,000m run; the hammer throw for men; the men's triple jump; the women's heptathlon; and the men's half marathon that went to Tomoya Onishi.
There was nail-biting finishes in the two hockey matches at the King's Park hockey ground. In the bronze-medal crunch match between Hong Kong and China the final score 4-3 did not come about until extra time when Hong Kong hit the board with the deciding goal after a short corner.
The gold saw Korea outlasting Japan after thrilling goal-mouth moments. It was 1-1 at half-time and when the final whistle blew, Korea grabbed gold with a 3-2 victory.
The dust settled at the Western Park Sports Centre today after the final 11 golds were decided in the wushu event.
In the thrust and lunge with weapons that is "taolu", four golds were equally shared by Hong Kong and China. And in the combative "sanshou" grade, China swept to five golds (two women) and two went to Macau combatants.
Christmas came early to the badminton courts of Queen Elizabeth Stadium as five golds were dished out to regional competitors: men's doubles – Chinese Taipei; women's doubles – Macau; mixed doubles – China; men's single – Korea; and the women's single to Hong Kong's own Yip Pui-yin.
And finally, the matted floor of the Shek Kip Mei Park Sports Centre saw the grunts and groans of competitors as eight golds were at stake.
Japan managed five golds – men's 66kg; men's 73kg; women's 48kg; 52kg; and the 57kg. With the others going to men's 60kg (PRK); open men (Korea); and open women (China).
Ends/Sunday, December 13, 2009
Issued at HKT 22:16
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