BUSAN (South Korea), Oct 4: Two more world records bit the dust at the Asian Games here Friday as China forged on relentlessly in its quest for a best ever gold haul.

Chinese athletes were responsible for one of the world records, with their women’s 25m sport pistol team shattering a 13-year-old best set by the Soviet Union in 1989.

Tao Luna teamed up with Li Duihong and Chen Ying for a combined new world record total of 1,768 points, four points better than the old mark, as China started with a gold.

The other record-breaker was Kazakhstan weightlifter Sergey Filimonov, who set a new best in the snatch section on his way to the gold medal in the men’s 77kg competition.

Filimonov lifted 173kg, breaking the old mark of 172.5kg set by Plamen Zhelyazkov of Bulgaria in March this year.

But a whiff of controversy surrounded the weightlifting arena when favourite and world champion Nader Sulyan Abbas, a Bulgarian representing Qatar, pulled out just moments before the final.

Abbas’ withdrawal echoed his sensational exit from the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, where he was a gold medal contender, only to withdraw on the eve of the competition complaining of a ‘virus’.

The world records came as China added 13 more gold medals to its overnight total of 58, other wins coming in gymnastics, cycling and men’s shooting.

At the end of day six, China had amassed 71 golds, ahead of Japan in second with 24 and South Korea third on 22.

With over a week of competition to go, which includes certain gold medal sports such as athletics, badminton and table tennis, China is now eyeing its Asian Games gold medal record of 183 set in Beijing 1990.

On Saturday, China’s swimmers will seek to crown a successful campaign in the pool by winning the single gold medal they need to win back their crown of being Asia’s top swimming power.

China now have 16 gold medals to Japan’s 11, with just five more up for grabs Saturday the fight for the blue-riband event is all but over.

It will be sweet revenge for China if they snatch the one gold they need after being pipped by Japan in Bangkok at the last Asiad 15-13.

The prize would have been theirs if not for a mammoth effort in the last race of the night by Japan’s relay team who set a new Asian mark of 3:37.45.

China won three swimming golds on Friday with Japan two.

China had to share the limelight in the day’s five gymnastics apparatus finals however. Though their athletes won three golds, they were forced to share the podium with rivals from North and South Korea.

Teng Haibin finished level on points with North Korea’s Kim Hyon-Il in the pommel horse, and Huang Xu was a joint gold winner with Kim Dong-Hwa of South Korea in the rings final.

In the women’s uneven bars, rising star Zhang Nan scored 9.500 but was matched by Han Jong-Ok of North Korea, who shared gold.

China’s unchallenged dominance in table tennis also came to an end in the women’s team tournament. A gripping final saw North Korea win 3-1.

But there was more glory for a Chinese athlete in the squash tournament.

This time, however, it was Hong Kong’s Rebecca Chiu who finished with a gold around her neck after a victory over reigning champion Nicol David of Malaysia in the women’s singles.

The 23-year-old clinched a 9-7, 9-5, 9-7 win in 55 minutes to gain revenge over the double world junior champion who had beaten her in the final of the last Asian Games in Bangkok in 1998.

Outside of the sporting arenas, officials revealed eight Nepalese athletes and one Mongolian have gone missing from the Asian Games.

Officials from the Nepali delegation told AFP the athletes, here to compete in the boxing, judo, weightlifting and shooting events, left the athletes village Thursday night and have not returned.

“They left last night and haven’t come back. We don’t know where they are or what’s happened to them,” an official said, adding that the missing included one woman.

“Our chef de mission is trying to find out what has happened.”

Local reports said police feared they were planning to remain in the country illegally.

Separately, a female canoeist from Mongolia left Busan for Seoul on Tuesday to catch a plane home, but has vanished.—AFP