Asia Games - Chinese windsurfers lead the way to the top

by Tan Yo-Hinn on 22 Nov 2010 Asia Games - Few expected Singapore to continue to reign as the top nation in sailing at the Asian Games, with China, owning a sea-faring heritage that stretches back centuries, the hosts this year.

At the end of the sailing programme here on Saturday at the 16th Asian Games, China unsurprisingly occupied first place with four golds, two silvers and four bronze medals.

Thailand finished second (3-1-2), ahead of (3-1-0). This time, Singapore's sailors could only manage fourth spot, returning home with two golds, two silvers and four bronze medals, down from five gold, three silver and two bronze in Doha 2006.

But China's team manager, Zhou Changfeng, insists his country has still some way to go.

'No, no, we're not (a sailing power yet),' Zhou, 43, told MediaCorp, at the Shanwei Ocean Sports Training Centre yesterday.

'We won gold in three windsurfing events, which is where our priority lies. But maybe apart from the Optimist and Laser Radial, we're still not as well developed in other classes.

'Unlike Singapore, where you are concentrating a lot on the dinghies, we're focusing a lot more on the windsurfing classes.'

China's golds came from windsurfers Sun Sasa in the women's RS:X, Wang Aichen (men's RS:X), Wang Ning (women's Mistral) and boys' Optimist dinghy sailor Zhang Xiaotian.

Obviously, China's priority at the 2012 Olympics in London will be in windsurfing but Zhou declined to reveal targets.

'The windsurfing classesrepresent our best chance of success at the 2012 Olympics,' he said.

Full report http://www.todayonline.com/Sports/EDC101122-0000070/Chinese-windsurfers-lead-the-way-to-the-top