Golden day for Asia, top tennis names crash

By Andrew Cawthorne

BEIJING (Reuters) - Japanese swimmer Kosuke Kitajima and Chinese gymnast Yang Wei led a golden day for Asia on Thursday that showcased the continent's growing sports power.

As hosts China powered ahead in the medals table on the sixth day of the Games, three of the biggest names in Beijing, Roger Federer and sisters Venus and Serena Williams, crashed out of the tennis singles at the quarter-final stage.

A rare sour note struck the Games when a Swedish wrestler tossed away his bronze medal in disgust at the refereeing.

"I don't care about this medal," said Ara Abrahamian, pulling the prize off his neck on the podium. Olympic chiefs said he would face a disciplinary hearing.

In the Water Cube, Asia's greatest swimmer Kitajima stole the spotlight from American Michael Phelps with an unprecedented "double-double" in the breaststroke, adding the 200 meters gold to the 100 title he won on Monday. He won both in Athens in 2004.

"I was not thinking about winning two gold medals at two consecutive Olympics," he said. "I was just focused on doing my best in Beijing."

There were sweet victories too for Chinese gymnast Yang Wei, who ended eight years of hurt in the men's individual all-round event, and for shooter Du Li, who had broken down in tears after failing to win the first gold of the Games on day one.

China even took an unexpected gold in women's archery thanks to Zhang Juan Juan. That ended South Korea's streak of winning every women's Olympic archery gold medal since 1984.

Asian nations have won nearly half of the golds so far.

Mongolia joined the party, taking the first gold medal in its history when Tuvshinbayar Naidan won the 100kg judo, rolling his opponent over three times in a show of brute force.

China leads the overall medals table with 22 golds.

America are second with 10 golds -- five of those thanks to swimmer Phelps and relay team mates -- but will expect to come back strongly when track-and-field events start on Friday.

Germany are third with seven golds, followed by South Korea and Italy on six.

China's Communist Party newspaper hailed a resurgent Asia's medals success as proof of historical and economic trends that were overturning "the old disparities" in sports competition.

"The traditional sporting powers face stronger and stronger challengers," the People's Daily said.