Games-Brave Wong takes painful route to cycling silver

Hong Kong's Wong Wan Yiu weeps as she sits in a wheelchair after winning the silver medal in the final of the women's Points Race in16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010. Wong crashed then continued in the race to win the silver medal.

(Reuters) - Hong Kong rider Wong Wan Yiu defined sporting bravery at the Asian Games on Tuesday after she grabbed a silver medal despite sustaining a suspected broken arm in the Guangzhou Velodrome.

Two pile-ups marred the women's points race. While China's Liu Xin avoided the carnage to take gold, medical staff rushed to the aid of riders as Japan's Mayuko Hagiwara and China's Tang Kerong left the Velodrome on stretchers.

Wong picked herself up, though, remounted and rode through the pain to collect an unlikely silver medal.

"I never thought of giving up," she said in tears after being helped to the podium.

"The women's point race won't be an event in the 2012 London Olympic Games, so this is the last time for me to compete for a gold medal in the women's points race in big games like the Asian Games. It is very important to me."

Wong gingerly held her arm as she sobbed in pain during the national anthem.

"In order to make her stand firm on the platform we had to use a board to support her," said her coach Shen Jinkang.

"She suffered a lot but she is really strong. It is a miracle that she finished the race."

No such miracles were evident at the swimming pool, where the natural order remained stubbornly set as Park Tae-Hwan romped home in the 400 metres freestyle for his second title.

The South Korean pin-up boy burst away from silver medalist Sun Yang and Asian record holder Zhang Lin to leave the Chinese choking back tears on the podium.

"It feels good to have led the whole race and end it with a good time," said Park, who only had one complaint after joyously draping himself in his national flag. "I fell short of the Asian record. I regret that a little."

Park, who now has five Asian Games titles, will still compete in the men's 100 and 1,500 metres freestyle but played down his chances of another top podium spot.

"I don't have 100 percent confidence and it's a tough one, but I'll do my best," he said.

China's swimmers still clinched five out of seven titles on Tuesday to leave their fans thrilled and Japan's swimmers deflated with only two days left in the competition.

Ryosuki Irie's 100m backstroke gold, his second after defending his 200m title, was the lone positive on another forgettable night for the Japanese, who shared 16 gold medals apiece with the Chinese in the pool at Doha, but have managed only five here to the hosts' 19.

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