Japan takes Asian Games gold as 470 Fleet shows its growing strength

The Japanese team of Tetsuya Isozaki and Yurie Seki led the fleet for most of the regatta and ultimately secured the 470 gold medal. Team JPN 22 won five of the ten races and finished the regatta five points ahead of the silver medallists. Just over a month ago, the Japanese pair had finished fourth at the 470 World Championships in Enoshima.

Isozaki has represented Japan at the Asian Games on several occasions, competing in the Optimist class in 2006, the 420 in 2010, and the Men’s 470 in 2018. Following his gold medal in Jakarta, he has now claimed his second Asian Games title. For Seki, the victory marked an impressive debut at the Asian Games.

Their success also shows how much 470 sailing is growing across Asia. The experienced sailors are still competing at the top, while younger crews are starting to challenge for medals too. With more countries in the mix, the fleet is getting stronger and more competitive, which is great to see for the future of the class and the next generation of Olympic campaigners.

The Republic of Korea’s Kim Changju and Lee Gyeongjin took silver, holding on to second place after winning the final Medal Race. China’s Dong Wenju and Xiao Hailun moved up to third, finishing just two points ahead of Thailand’s Navee Thamsoontorn and Nichapa Waiwai, who had started the final day in third place.

The event also brought together teams from Malaysia, India, the Philippines, Pakistan and Kazakhstan, with sailors from nine different countries taking part. The growing international representation and increasingly close racing underline the development of 470 sailing in Asia and point towards an increasingly competitive road to future Olympic qualification.

Text courtesy of 470.org. Images copyright Junichi Hirai.