Sun Peiyuan clinched the first gold of the 2018 Asian Games in the men’s Changquan Wushu on Sunday morning. Sun was facing stiff competition from South Korea's Lee Ha-sung, the champion from the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, as well as home favorite Edgar Xavier Marvelo. But Sun topped the podium with 9.75 points to give China the first gold of the Games for the fifth time in a row.
Born in Shandong Province, the 29-year-old man won gold in the all-round Daoshu and Gunshu events at the 2014 Asian Games. At the time, he did not compete in Changquan and South Korea's Lee claimed the gold. Sun had also won gold medals in China's National Games and at the Wushu World Championships. He is an all-rounder in Changquan, Daoshu and Gunshu, and the veteran had vowed to aim for gold before the competition in Indonesia.
With its long tradition in the sport, China is very strong in Wushu, which is not an Olympic event. China won 11 out of 15 golds in Wushu at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. The 2018 Asian Games are underway from August 18 to September 2 in two Indonesian cities: Jakarta and Palembang.