China’s Sun Peiyuan Wins First Gold Medal of Asian Games 2018

Asian Games 2018: Chinese wushu athlete Sun Peiyuan has won the first gold medal of the 18th Asian Games.

China’s Peiyuan Sun perform during the Wushu games at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia on Sunday, Aug. 19, 2018. Sun won gold in the event

(Photo: AP)

Chinese wushu athlete Sun Peiyuan won the first gold medal of the Asian Games as the Olympic heavyweights made a fast start in their quest to top the medals table on Sunday.

Sun, 28, scored 9.75 to win the men's changquan category of the Chinese martial art, denying hosts Indonesia the Games' opening title as he edged Edgar Xavier Marvelo into second place.

(For complete coverage of the 2018 Asian Games, click here.)

China snared 151 gold medals at the 2014 Games in Incheon, nearly double the total of home nation South Korea, as they extended their record of topping the table at each edition of the regional Olympics since 1982.

Taiwan's Tsai Tsemin took the first bronze of the Games as the two-week, 40-sport competition got underway in Jakarta and Palembang, a port city on Sumatra island.

There were two Indians competing in the category as well but Anjul Namdeo finished fifth and 19-year-old Suraj Singh Mayanglambam placed 10th with a score of 9.51.