China Continues Dominance in Artistic Gymnastics at 19th Asian Games Hangzhou
Hangzhou, September 27, 2023 – In a stunning display of gymnastic prowess, China added another gold medal to their impressive tally at the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou. Zuo Tong, a 17-year-old gymnast, secured the women’s all-around glory on September 27, 2023, maintaining China’s perfect record in artistic gymnastics events.
Zuo entered the final rotation on the floor exercise with a narrow lead of 0.567 points over Japan’s Okamura Mana. With Okamura performing her routine ahead of Zuo, the young Chinese gymnast knew precisely what was needed to clinch the gold – a score of 12.499 or better.
Despite a slight stumble during her second tumbling pass that caused her to step out of bounds, Zuo remained composed and managed to secure a score of 13.166 on the floor, bringing her total score to an impressive 53.565 points.
Okamura Mana, who had also excelled on all four apparatuses, had to settle for the silver medal with a total score of 52.898.
The bronze medal was claimed by Kim Su Jong, a gymnast from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, with a score of 51.466. Kim overtook her teammate, An Chang Ok, on the floor exercise after An encountered difficulties, including going out of bounds and sitting down on the landing of her third pass.
Zhang Jin, another member of the Chinese team, unfortunately finished in fourth place with a score of 50.899. Zhang struggled on the uneven bars, experiencing three falls that likely cost her a spot on the podium.
China’s dominance in gymnastics at the 2023 Asian Games has been nothing short of remarkable. They have now secured gold medals in the men’s team, women’s team, men’s all-around, and women’s all-around events. Notably, the women’s final lacked some of the sport’s big names, as teams opted to focus on the upcoming World Championships in Belgium.
