Ogunode wins 200 to achieve Asiad sprint double

October 01, 2014 07:00 pm | Updated May 23, 2016 04:43 pm IST - INCHEON

Qatar's Femi Seun Ogunode finishes first in the men's 200m final at the 17th Asian Games in Incheon on Wednesday.

Qatar's Femi Seun Ogunode finishes first in the men's 200m final at the 17th Asian Games in Incheon on Wednesday.

Days after setting an Asian record in the 100 meters, Qatar’s Femi Ogunode powered to victory in the Asian Games 200 on Wednesday.

Next on his list: The best sprinters in the world.

“One hundred meters, 200 meters, I can take on anyone,” the Nigerian-born Ogunode said, singling out world 100 record-holder Usain Bolt, and Yohan Blake, who holds the second fastest time.

“I see myself achieving greatness.”

Ogunode thrilled the Incheon crowd on Sunday with a new Asian time of 9.93 seconds in the 100, just 0.24 off Blake’s time, and 0.35 away from the world record.

On Wednesday, he pulled away from the field to clock 20.14, a games record and within 0.11 seconds of Shingo Suetsugu’s 11-year-old Asian mark.

Ogunode thanked the crowds who’ve wildly cheered his every appearance in the heats and finals.

“When I get to the track, they cheer me up,” he said. “I’m thankful that I’m improving. I’m thankful that I’m here today and won two golds.”

In the night’s other athletics highlight, Olympic champion triple jumper Olga Rypakova of Kazakhstan successfully defended her Asian Games title in just her third meet since returning to competition in August.

Rypakova took 18 months off to have her second child after winning gold at the London Olympics. In addition to the 2010 Asian Games triple jump title, Rypakova also won the heptathlon at the 2006 Asiad in Qatar.

The 800s were won by Saudi Arabia’s Abdulaziz Ladan Mohammed, who surged on the final straight to pip Qatar’s Musaab Abdelrahman by a mere 0.05 seconds, and Kazakhstan’s Margarita Mukasheva, who ran down India’s Lukka Tintu. Tintu led for much of the race before fading over the last 20 meters, similar to her performance at the London Olympics, where she finished 10th.

Wu Shujia of China won the women’s 100 hurdles, and Takayuki Tanii of Japan the men’s 50—kilometer race walk by nine minutes in a games record 3 hours, 40.19 seconds.

Elsewhere, North Korea downed defending champion Japan 3-1 in the women’s football final.

Kim Yun Mi struck first for North Korea in the 12th minute, and Ra Un Sim added a second goal seven minutes into the second half. Aya Miyama got one back for Japan four minutes later, but Ho Un Byol sealed the win with a third goal three minutes from time.

In the bronze medal match, South Korea scored three second-half goals to defeat Vietnam 3-0.

North Korea plays South Korea in the men’s final on Thursday. They met in the final in 1978, when the game ended goalless and the title was shared.

At the boxing hall, L. Sarita Devi of India refused to accept her bronze medal in protest at what she called “biased judgment” during the semifinals of the women’s 60-kilogram class.

Sarita went to the podium but refused to bend down to let the medal be placed over her neck. She took the medal in her hand, went across, and appeared to slip it onto the neck of Park Ji-na, the South Korean who beat her on Tuesday. Park won by unanimous decision, causing uproar, and accusations of a fix by India’s chief coach. Park lost the final.

“I’m ready to face any repercussions and to sacrifice my career if it can help other boxers and improve the system,” Sarita said. “I was sure of winning the gold medal and it’s really disappointing to lose in such manner when the judges are against you.”

Also, the fourth and fifth cases of doping at the games were announced- Iraqi weightlifter Mohammed Jasim Abood al Alfuri tested positive for steroids etiocholanolone and androsterone, and Syrian karate competitor Nour Aldin Al for the stimulant clenbuterol, both in pre-competition tests.

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