Japan swimmers a class above

Japan's Kosuke Kitajima was a class above the opposition as the Pan Pacific champion stormed to gold in the men's 100 metres breaststroke on day one of the Asian Games swimming competition on Monday.

Takahiro Mori, Yuko Nakanishi and the men's 4x200 metres freestyle team were also victorious at Pusan's Sajik Pool as Japan won four out of five finals to take a 4-1 first-day lead over fierce rivals China in the swimming gold medal standings.

Kitajima, who won gold at the Pan Pacific championships in Yokohama in August, lowered the Asian Games record for the second time in eight hours in the final, clocking one minute and 45 seconds.

His time was more than two and a half seconds quicker than runner-up Zeng Qiliang of China, while Japan's Yoshihisa Yamaguchi took the bronze medal in 1:03.22.

Kitajima set an Asian record of 1:00.34 at the Pan Pacific event before an elbow injury forced the 20-year-old out of the 200 metres breaststroke and 200 individual medley.

Still not fully recovered, he never seriously challenged the world mark of 59.94 set by Russian Roman Sloudnov in Fukuoka last year after turning 0.38 seconds outside world record pace through the first 50.

"I swam a great race in Yokohama but there was something missing today. The (world) record is always on my mind but there is always next season," said Kitajima.

"I still managed to get the job done and win gold. Now I have to focus on the 200 and hopefully do it again."

Mori, who won silver behind American phenomenon Michael Phelps in Yokohama, went one better this time, touching in a new Asian record of 2:00.53 in the final of the 200 individual medley to take the first gold of the evening.

EXTRA INCENTIVE

Japanese team mate Jiro Miki finished runner-up in 2:02.07 with Ouyang Kun Peng of China taking bronze in 2:03.34.

"I knew it was important for the Japan team to get off to a winning start and that gave me extra incentive," said Mori.

"I was aiming for the (Asian) record in Yokohama but my priority was to win gold today, so it's a bonus that the record came here."

China briefly interrupted Japan's dominance when national champion Yang Yu won the women's 200 freestyle in another Games record and a personal best of 1:58.43 with compatriot Xu Yanwei taking silver in 1:59.42.

"My training has been geared towards the Asian Games, so I was confident I could win gold here. I will try to break my personal best in the 100 metres too," said Yang.

Normal service was quickly resumed, however. Kitajima's victory was followed by another gold for the Japanese as Yuko Nakanishi won the women's 200 butterfly final in 2:08.99, with team mate Maki Mita a distant second in 2:11.57.

Japan underlined their superiority on day one by winning gold in the men's 4x200 freestyle relay in 7:20.59, the fourth Games record of the day but almost 16 seconds outside Australia's world record of 7:04.66.

China settled for the silver in a time of 7:25.36 while hosts South Korea took bronze in 7:29.36.

Japan won 15 gold medals to 13 for China at the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok but China -- who sent a diluted team to Yokohama -- have been training in earnest in Beijing in a bid to avenge that result.