China won 19 gold medals on a single day on Wednesday and now has a total of 40 golds to its credit at the East Asian Games here.

China took nine gold medals from 10 gymnastics apparatus finals, grasped two each from swimming and weightlifting events, won five out of eight athletics finals and also pocketed one diving gold.

The gymnastics tournament concluded here on Wednesday with China the biggest winners. However, Japan also took three golds in the sport dominated by Chinese, one of the world powerhouses.

In the third day's swimming competitions, Japan finally gained an upper-hand over China as hosting country's swimmers won the men's 100m freestyle and the women's 100m backstroke and 400m individual medley.

But China still kept a pressure on the hosts as Yu Rui beat Kozan Hashimoto of Japan to take the men's 200m backstroke.

The Chinese women's quartet won their second gold medals, triumphing in the 4x100m freestyle relay. In the first day competitions, they also took the title of the 4x200m freestyle relay.

China has won seven gold medals in the pool so far. In the last East Asian Games, Chinese swimmers were humiliated by their Japanese counterparts as they only took seven golds to Japan's 21.

China had a golden harvest on the opening day of the athletics competitions, winning five golds out of eight at stake.

Dong Yanmei, a former world champion and a member of the famous "Ma Family Army" headed by legendary coach Ma Junren, beat two Japanese runners to take the women's 10,000m title.

Before Dong's victory in the long distance running, China had already won four golds in the women's long jump, the women's hammar throw, the women's discus throw and the women's 1,500 meters.

Japan only managed two golds in the men's pole vault and the men's 10,000 meters. Kazakhstan also took a gold in the men's 1, 500 meters.

After Wednesday's competitions, China tops the medal table with 40 golds, 18 silvers and 20 bronzes. Japan has 23 gold, 29 silver and 29 bronze medals for the second place. South Korea has 12 gold, 14 silver and 12 bronze medals.

(People's Daily 05/24/2001)