China and Japan Dominate Day 1 Medals Table, Again

SWIMMING AT THE 2018 ASIAN GAMES

• August 19th-24th, 2018
• Jakarta, Indonesia
• Schedule & Results
• Day 1 recap

Japan and China traditionally dominate the medals tables in swimming at the Asian Games, at a fairly consistent rate. Over the last 8 versions of this event, the two countries have combined for between 71 and 86% of the medals awarded at the event. The low-water mark was in 1998, where there was an unusually-strong contingent of swimmers from Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) and a number of other countries that aren’t traditonal Asian powers (Thailand, for example, won 5 of their 17 medals all-time that year).

China & Japan Combined Medals Table Dominance, Swimming at the Asian Games, 1986-2014

• 2014 – 93/114 – 81.6%
• 2010 – 93/114 – 81.6%
• 2006 – 91/114 – 79.8%
• 2002 – 81/96 – 84.4%
• 1998 – 70/98 – 71.4%
• 1994 – 70/93 – 75.3%
• 1990 – 80/93 –  86.0%
• 1986 – 70/87 – 80.5%

2018 looks no different, and if anything, the divide has deepened (in spite of anecdotal evidence leading to the belief that regional swimming abilities in Asia are growing). On day 1, China and Japan won 19 out of 21 medals, with only South Korea’s Lee Ju-Ho’s bronze in the 100 backstroke stealing a medal that the two superpowers could have won.

That’s a combined 90.5% of the medals on the first day (because each nation can only have one relay, the maximum possible so far would be 95.2%).

Hong Kong snuck in for that 3rd relay medal in the women’s 400.

Day 1 Records:

• Asian Games Record, W. 100 free, Rikako Ikee – 53.60
• Asian Games Record,  W. 400 free relay, Japan – 3:36.52
• Japanese Record, W. 400 free relay, Japan – 3:36.52
• Asian Games Record, W. 100 breast, Satomi Suzuki, 1:06.40
• Asian Games Record (TIED), M. 100 back, Xu Jiayu – 52.34
• Singapore Record, W. 1500 free, 16:39.70
• Singapore Record, W 400 free relay, 3:44.21

Day 1 Medal Table, Swimming at the 2018 Asian Games

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	China	4	2	4	10
2	Japan	3	5	1	9
3	South Korea	0	0	1	1
3	Hong Kong	0	0	1	1
Total		7	7	7	21

Day 1 Medalists

WOMEN’S 1500 FREE:

1. GOLD: Wang Jianjiahe, CHN, 15:53.68
2. SILVER: Li Bingjie, CHN, 15:53.80
3. BRONZE: Waka Kobori, JPN, 16:18.31

MEN’S 200 FREE:

1. GOLD: Sun Yang, CHN, 1:45.43
2. SILVER: Katsuhiro Matsumoto, JPN, 1:46.50
3. BRONZE: Ji Xinjie, CHN, 1:46.68

WOMEN’S 200 BACK:

1. GOLD: Liu Yaxin, China, 2:07.65
2. SILVER: Natsumi Sakai, Japan, 2:08.13
3. BRONZE: Peng Xuwei, China, 2:09.14

MEN’S 100 BACK:

1. GOLD: Xu Jiayu, China, 52.34 (AG =)
2. SILVER: Ryosuke Irie, Japan, 52.53
3. BRONZE: Juho Lee, South Korea, 54.52

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST:

1. GOLD: Satomi Suzuki, Japan, 1:06.40 (AG Record)
2. SILVER: Reona Aoki, Japan, 1:06.45
3. BRONZE: Shi Jinglin, China, 1:07.36