The 18th edition of the Asian Games, held in Jakarta and Palembang from August 18 to September 2 in 2018, saw a number of records being broken across various sports.
Here are some of the major records that were shattered at the 2018 Asian Games:
1. Tajinderpal Singh Toor - Men’s Shot Put
India’s Tajinderpal Singh Toor set a new Games Record in men’s shot put at the 2018 Asian Games. The previous record of 20.57m, set by Saudi Arabia’s Sultan Al-Hebshi, had been set in 2010 in Guangzhou.
Tajinder could not cross the 20m mark in his first four attempts. However, in his fifth try, he unleashed a massive throw of 20.75m that not only secured the gold medal for him but also set a new Games record.
Al-Hebshi fouled in his first three attempts and finished at the bottom of the field.
2. Su Bingtian - Men’s 100m
China’s Su Bingtian celebrates after winning the men’s 100m final at the 2018 Asian Games. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
China’s Su Bingtian broke the Games Record in men’s 100m by the slightest of margins. In 2015, Su had become the first Asian-born sprinter to achieve a sub-10 second clocking.
The Asian Games record belonged to Qatar’s Femi Ogunode who won the gold medal at Incheon 2014 in 9.93s.
Su clinched gold in Indonesia in 9.92s, thus beating Ogunode’s record by one hundredth of a second.
3. Liu Xiang - Women’s 50m Backstroke
China’s Liu Xiang celebrates after winning the women’s 50m backstroke event at the 2018 Asian Games. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
Going into the 2018 edition, the Games Record in women’s 50m backstroke belonged to Gao Chang of China.
Gao had bagged gold in Guangzhou 2010 with a timing of 27.45s.
However, in Jakarta, the 20-year-old Liu Xiang, also from China, not only went past Gao’s time but ended up setting a new world record of 26.98s which still stands. Liu became the first woman in history to go sub-27 second in the event.
4. Sohrab Moradi - Men’s 94 kg weightlifting
Iran’s Sohrab Moradi during the men’s 94kg weightlifting at the 2018 Asian Games. | Photo Credit: AP
Iran’s Sohrab Moradi destroyed the previous Games record set by Kazakhstan’s Bakhyt Akhmetov in Busan in 2002.
Akhmetov had won gold in South Korea with a total lift of 400kg.
Moradi went a step further. He first shattered the then world record of 188kg in snatch by Akakios Kakiasvilis of Greece as he lifted 189kg. The man from Iran, with a successful lift of 221kg in the clean-and-jerk, secured the gold with a total lift of 410kg.
5. Rikako Ikee - Women’s 50m freestyle
Rikako Ikee of Japan won six gold medals in swimming at the 2018 Asian Games. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
Japan’s Rikako Ikee created history by becoming the first female athlete to win the Most Valuable Player award at the Asian Games in 2018.
Ikee had won six gold medals and two silvers medals in Indonesia. All six gold medals (two of them in relays) came with new Games records.
Here’s the list of Games Records Ikee set (in individual events) at the 2018 edition:
| Category | Ikee's timing | Previous Games Record |
| 50m freestyle | 24.53s | Chen Xinyi (CHN) - 24.87s - Incheon, 2014 |
| 100m freestyle | 53.27s | Rikako Ikee - 53.60s (Heats) - Jakarta, 2018 |
| 50m butterfly | 25.55s | Lu Ying (CHN) - 25.83s - Incheon, 2014 |
| 100m butterfly | 56.30s | Chen Xinyi (CHN) - 56.61s - Incheon, 2014 |
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