Another strongwoman and some tenacious cyclists extended China's winning streak to the first 10 gold medals of the Asian Games.
Japan appeared likely to break that streak in swimming races later today, however, after placing 1-2 in all four qualifying races.Taiwan, back in the Games for the first time since 1970, won its first medal Monday when Ni Chia-ping placed second behind China's Xing Liwei in the 56-kilogram division of women's weightlifting.
Xing, the world champion, lifted a total of 190 kilograms in extending China's winning streak in weightlifting to four. She fell 2.5 kilograms short of the Asian record, but her snatch lift of 85.0 kilograms broke the Asian mark of 82.5 set by China's Bi Caijuan in 1989.
In the men's 100-kilometer team time trial cycling race, China's quartet opened up a lead of more than two minutes after 50 kilometers and held off Mongolia's challenge.
The Chinese finished in 2 hours, 4 minutes, 55.58 seconds, breaking China's 2-year-old Asian record of 2:06:22.
Chinese coach Shen Jinkang said his racers were too excited in the first 25 kilometers, and that affected their speed at the end, when Mongolia narrowed the gap slightly.
On the opening day of competition, Chinese athletes captured all eight golds: three in weightlifting, four in swimming and one in men's team gymnastics.
The Games' first winner was Xing Fen, a 97-pound farmer's daughter who lifted a barbell more than twice her weight as the relatively new sport of women's weightlifting made its Asian Games debut.
Japan was next best with four silvers and three bronzes.
Kuwait's team-in-exile proved a crowd favorite during opening ceremonies and then went on to beat Hong Kong 2-1 in soccer. The Kuwaiti athletes here were out of their country when Iraq invaded Aug. 2. Iraq was expelled from the Games because of the invasion.