Zhang's brilliant Asian Games continues with fifth gold medal

HANGZHOU, China: Asian Games poster-girl Zhang Yufei pipped Hong Kong's Siobhan Haughey in a thrilling sprint for the 50 metres freestyle gold medal on Thursday (Sep 28) while former Olympic champion Ye Shiwen turned back the clock to claim a breaststroke title.

Home favourite Zhang, better known for her butterfly prowess, posted a time of 24.26 seconds to claim her fifth gold in the Hangzhou pool and send local fans into raptures.

The Olympic 200m butterfly champion is on track to reach her target of seven gold medals in Hangzhou, with the 50m butterfly and 4x100m medley relay on swimming's final day on Friday.

Zhang has been the focus of these Games but a former golden girl of Chinese swimming also made a splash when Ye blitzed the field to claim the 200m breaststroke gold.

At 16, Ye became a global sensation when she took the 200m medley title with a world record swim at the London Olympics and then added the 400m medley gold.

Now 27, Hangzhou native Ye returned to the pool for her home Games and is eyeing another Olympics in Paris next year.

"To be able to win this gold medal based on six months’ training has given me great confidence and I hope more training can only prepare me more," she said.

World champion Qin Haiyang cruised to victory in the men's 200m breaststroke final with a time of 2:07.03, adding to his 100m title on Monday.

The owner of the 50, 100 and 200 breaststroke world titles from Fukuoka, Qin will look to complete another hat-trick in Hangzhou with victory in the shortest distance on Friday.

Five years after being a demonstration sport at the Jakarta Asian Games, esports' debut as a medal event has proved a hit at Hangzhou.

South Korean Kim Gwan-woo beat Taiwan's Hsiang Yu-Lin for the gold medal in "Street