China looked unbeatable after just one full day of the East Asian Games on Sunday, snapping up three-quarters of the gold medals available and smashing a 24-year-old weightlifting record along the way.
China, who brought a bumper squad in preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, finished the day with 21 of a possible 27 golds, way ahead of hosts Macau who grabbed six in dragon-boating and Chinese martial art wushu.
Yang Lian starred for the Chinese, breaking compatriot Li Zhuo's 1981 record in the women's 48kg weightlifting section with a clean-and-jerk of 117kg. Along with a 90kg snatch, her 207kg total equalled the Asian record.
"I felt relaxed today," Yang said. "An East Asian Games gold is good. An Olympic gold will be even better."
China, which finished second to the United States in the Athens Olympics and wants to go one better in 2008, swept the board in the day's weightlifting and diving and already looked a good bet to reach their goal of 100-plus medals.
China have topped the medals table at each of the three previous East Asian Games.
Double Olympic champion Guo Jingjing led the way in the pool, easing her way to victory in the unfamiliar 1m springboard. Luo Yutong won the men's 3m while Chang Jing and Wang Liang took the men's 10m synchronised platform.
The much-photographed Guo, who has been mobbed by an unruly press pack at every appearance here, said the toughest thing about the Games was dealing with the media attention.
"No matter how the other competitors perform, I will try my best but no matter how well they do, all the press focus is on me," said Guo, who has been romantically linked with a disgraced former team-mate and the son of Hong Kong's Olympic chief.
The dearth of serious competition for Guo was highlighted by the sixth-place finish of Macau's 11-year-old Lei Sioi.
Nine countries and territories, including tiny Guam and dark horses Mongolia and North Korea, are competing in the 17-sport Games which run until November 6.
Macau's Hang Yanhui made a name for herself by taking the Games' first gold in the women's nanquan category of the wushu.
Macau also impressed in dragon-boating, winning a medal in all eight events including three golds. Dragon-boating and wushu, along with ballroom-dancing, soft tennis and bowling, are the more unusual events here.
About 1,900 athletes are competing for 234 gold medals in sports also including acquatics, athletics, gymnastics, weightlifting, rowing, shooting, football, hockey, tennis and basketball.
The East Asian Games are the biggest sporting event ever held in Macau, a former Portuguese enclave which reverted to Chinese rule in 1999. Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan round out the nine competing teams.
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