Besides the unified Korean team, five countries broke their record of gold medals at a single Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang which concluded on Sunday. Following are the ones:

Bahrain won 12 gold medals, breaking it’s record of nine set in 2014

Cambodia (two) double from 2014

Indonesia (31), surpassing its record of 11 from 1962, also in Jakarta.

Kyrgyzstan (two), more than one each in 2002 and 2010.

Uzbekistan (21), topping their record total of 15 from 2002.

Oldest and youngest medal winners

Bunga Nyimas (INA) was the youngest medal winner at these Games. She took bronze in the women’s street event in skateboarding at the age of 12 years and 138 days. Zhang Minjie (CHN) became the youngest gold medal winner, when she won the synchro 10m platform in diving on her 14th birthday.

The oldest was Bambang Hartono (INA) as he was 78 years old when he took bronze in the mixed super team event in bridge. Pranab Bardhan (IND) was the oldest gold medal winner at these Asian Games. At 60 years of age, he was part of the winning men’s pair event in bridge.

Indonesia benefit from new disciplines

Nine sports were being held for the first time at these Asian Games; bridge, jetski, ju-jitsu, kurash, paragliding, pencak silat, sambo, skateboarding and sport climbing. Indonesia won 20 of the available 61 gold medals in these sports combined, by far the most of any NOC as Uzbekistan followed with seven gold medals.

Indonesia was especially dominant in pencak silat, winning 14 of the 16 gold medals, with the other two going to Vietnam.

Indonesia had not won 11 gold medals in total at any Games until this year, when it won 31 in all sports combined.

Japan’s great Games

Japan, one of the traditional powerhouses in Asian Games history, had a gold medal total of 75 at these Games. This was the NOC’s second most successful Asian Games, having only surpassed this total when winning 78 golds at the Bangkok 1966 Asian Games.

Japan broke the 1000-gold medal barrier at these Games, when Kensuke Sasaoka was victorious in the skateboard men’s park event on August 29.

Japan also collected its 3000th total medal in the history of the Asian Games when Kaya Isa took silver in the skateboard women’s street event, also on August 29.

Swimmer Ikee (JPN) most successful athlete

Rikako Ikee (JPN) won six gold medals at these Games, to become the second person to achieve the feat at a specific Asian Games, after SO Gin Man (PRK), who won seven gold medals in men’s shooting in 1982.

Ikee’s eight medals in total was also the most of all athletes in Jakarta-Palembang. It was also the equal-most of all athletes at a specific Games. Go Gin Man also won eight in 1982.

Sun Yang (CHN) ended up with nine gold medals, as he won two in 2010, three in 2014 and four in 2018. Only three athletes have won more in the history of the Games; Wang Yifu (CHN) won 14 in shooting, Pornchai Kaokaew (THA) won 10 in sepaktakraw and Yoshimi Nishigawa (JPN) won 10 in swimming.

— Compiled by N.D.Prashant