Zhang Jiale won the women’s hammer throw at the Asian Games in Nagoya with a Games record of 78.27m, beating compatriot Zhao Jie in the latest chapter of a closely contested Chinese rivalry.
Zhang produced her winning throw in the fourth round at Paloma Mizuho Stadium. Zhao finished second with 74.83m, while Japan’s Joy Iris McArthur took bronze with 68.42m.
The 78.27m mark broke the previous Asian Games record and came after Zhang had produced some of the biggest throws in the world during the 2026 season.
Before Nagoya, Zhang had thrown 78.64m on August 16 and later produced a 79.62m performance. Those marks were subject to the ratification process at the time.
Zhang, born in 2006, is only 19 and has already won major international titles at junior and senior level.
She is the reigning World U20 champion and Asian U20 champion in the hammer throw. Her 2026 season also included a World Championships bronze medal, placing her among the leading young throwers in the event.
The Nagoya final was another contest between Zhang and Zhao, who had established herself as the holder of the ratified Asian record earlier in 2026 with 78.22m.
Zhang had won their previous seven meetings in 2026 before the Asian Games and extended that sequence in Nagoya by taking gold.
Zhang took control of the final before producing the winning 78.27m in round four. Zhao’s best effort of 74.83m left her 3.44 metres behind her compatriot.
The result continued China’s dominance in the women’s hammer throw at the Asian Games. Zhang became the latest Chinese champion in an event in which the country has produced several of Asia’s leading throwers.
Her 78.27m was not the longest throw of her 2026 season, but it was enough to secure the Asian Games title and set a new Games record.
With the victory, Zhang added an Asian Games gold medal to her World U20, Asian U20 and World Championships medals, while establishing herself as one of the leading names in the next generation of women’s hammer throwing.