China has secured a decisive victory over Japan (24-11) in the women’s water polo competition at the Hangzhou Asian Games, cementing their place as Asia’s best team and confirming their berth at the Paris Olympic Games.
Remarkably, this win marks China’s fourth consecutive gold medal at the Asian Games in women’s water polo. The competition in Hangzhou featured a total of seven teams, engaged in a round-robin format of matches. In an impressive display of dominance, China emerged victorious in all six of their matches, clinching the coveted gold medal. Japan, with five wins, settled for the silver medal, while Kazakhstan, with four wins, secured the third-place spot on the podium.
From the outset against the Japanese, China took a commanding 6-1 lead in the first quarter of the final showdown. Although Japan bolstered their defense and generated scoring opportunities in the second quarter, China’s Zhang Jing, Yan Jing, and goalkeeper Zhang Jiaqi delivered exceptional performances, maintaining relentless pressure on their opponents. As a result, China maintained a commanding 13-7 lead at halftime.
The third quarter saw China, coached by former Olympiacos coach Charis Pavlidis, maintain their dominance, conceding only two points to Japan. In the final quarter, China continued to assert control, guaranteeing they return to the Olympic Games for the fourth successive time since hosting the competition in 2008.
China join the Netherlands, Spain and Australia in becoming the fourth team to secure Olympic qualification.
The men’s competition is not yet finished and continues throughout this week.
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