Thailand’s Puripol Boonson will aim to establish himself as one of Asia’s leading sprinters when he competes for the men’s 100m gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Boonson made history in December by becoming the first Southeast Asian runner to break the 10-second barrier, clocking 9.94 seconds on home soil. He enters the Games in good form after recording 9.99 seconds at a race in the Czech Republic last month.
Hangzhou Silver Medallist Returns
Boonson made a strong impression at the Hangzhou Asian Games, where he won silver as a 17-year-old behind China’s Xie Zhenyi.
Xie could once again pose a major challenge to the Thai sprinter at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium.
Boonson has since become a national hero in Thailand after winning the 100m and 200m double at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games. An Asian Games gold medal would further strengthen his status among Thai athletics fans.
Japanese fans will have their attention on Olympic javelin champion Haruka Kitaguchi, who is expected to face a strong challenge from China’s 18-year-old sensation Yan Ziyi.
Kitaguchi made history at the Paris Olympics by becoming the first Japanese woman to win an Olympic field event.
Yan, meanwhile, has enjoyed a remarkable year. She recorded the second-longest throw in history at 71.74 metres in Xiamen in May, just one day after turning 18. She has also won five Diamond League titles this year.
The current world record of 72.28m, set by Czech athlete Barbora Spotakova, could come under pressure.
Barshim Defends High Jump Title
Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim will defend his Asian Games high jump title as he targets a fourth Asian Games gold medal.
The former Olympic champion previously won gold at the Guangzhou 2010, Incheon 2014 and Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games.
Bahrain’s Winfred Yavi, the Olympic champion in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase, will target a third consecutive Asian Games gold medal in the event.
The Kenya-born athlete is also scheduled to compete in the women’s 5,000m and 10,000m, as she looks to challenge for three titles.
Feng Bin Leads Women’s Discus Field
China’s Feng Bin, the Olympic silver medallist from Paris, will enter the women’s discus competition in strong form.
She secured her first Diamond League title in Brussels this month with a throw of 67.46 metres, making her one of the leading contenders heading into the Asian Games.