Hosts Japan scored medals in five of the seven finals on the opening day of competition at the 18th Asian Junior Athletics Championships in Gifu. Following the withdrawal of teammate Rika Kaseda, Mikuni Yada was the only Japanese girl in the 5000 m but had no trouble scoring the gold medal, beating China's Li Hua Niu by 24 seconds to win in 16:31.65. Shumo Ozaki won Japan's other gold in the boys' pole vault by clearing 5.20 m for the first time.
It also took a PB for Nanako Fujii to win silver in the girls' 10000 m racewalk, finishing 4 seconds behind winner Li Ma of China 45:20.59 to 45:24.35. Likewise in the girls' shot put final, where Honoka Oyama threw a PB of 15.54 m for silver behind Chinese gold medalist Liu Ru Zhang's 16.05 m.
The day's lone Japanese bronze came in the boys' hammer throw, where Masanobu Hattori threw 69.34 m to make the podium alongside the powerful Indian duo of Ashish Jakhar and Damneet Singh. In the girls' hammer throw Meng Yuan Zhou of China wasn't far off Hattori's mark, throwing 64.81 m for gold. Thi Ngoc Ha Vu of Vietnam of won the day's other final, jumping 13.22 m (+3.2 m/s) for gold in the girls' triple jump. No Japanese athletes made in either the girls' hammer throw or triple jump.
The Asian Junior Athletics Championships continue through Sunday. The entire meet is being streamed live on the JAAF's official championships website.
18th Asian Junior Athletics Championships
Day One HighlightsGifu, 6/7/18
click here for complete results
Girls
Girls' 5000 m Final
1.Mikuni Yada (Japan) - 16:31.65
2. Li Hua Niu (China) - 16:55.54
3. Poonam Dinkar Sonune (India) - 17:03.75
Girls' 10000 m Racewalk Final
1. Li Ma (China) - 45:20.59 - MR
2. Nanako Fujii (Japan) - 45:24.35 - PB
3. Wenxiu Li (China) - 47:38.46
Women's Triple Jump Final
1. Thi Ngoc Ha Vu (Vietnam) - 13.22 m +3.2 m/s
2. You Qi Pan (China) - 13.21 m +1.7 m/s
3. Priyadarshini Suresh (India) - 13.08 m +3.2 m/s
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5. Sayaka Nakamura (Japan) - 12.53 m +3.0 m/s
Women's Shot Put Final
1. Liu Ru Zhang (China) - 16.05 m
2. Honoka Oyama (Japan) - 15.54 m - PB
3. Pei-Yu Guo (Taiwan) - 14.76 m
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4. Mio Kikuchi (Japan) - 55.16 m - PB
Women's Hammer Throw Final
1. Meng Yuan Zhou (China) - 64.81 m
2. Jiang Yan Li (China) - 61.44 m - PB
3. Reyhaneh Arani (Iran) - 55.46 m - PB
Boys
Boys' Pole Vault Final
1. Shumo Ozaki (Japan) - 5.20 m - PB
2. Idan Fauzan Richsan (Indonesia) - 5.15 m
3. Kasinpob Chomchanad (Thailand) - 5.00 m
Boys' Hammer Throw Final
1. Ashish Jakhar (Indai) - 76.86 m - PB
2. Damneet Singh (India) - 74.08 m - PB
3. Masanobu Hattori (Japan) - 69.34 m
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