China asserted their dominance in the 20km race walks during the first day of the athletics events at the Hangzhou Asian Games as the powerhouse sealed both the men's and women's titles, establishing an undeniable monopoly over the demanding discipline.

In the men's competition, Zhang Jun crossed the finish line first with a time of 1 hour and 23 minutes, securing the first gold medal in the athletics category. His compatriot Wang Chaochao claimed the second place, finishing 1 minute and 8 seconds behind.

Moving on to the women's race, it was a thrilling battle between two Chinese contenders, Yang Jiayu and Ma Zhenxia, as they matched each other stride for stride in the final stretch towards the finish line. Ultimately, Yang managed to defend her title, coming out on top with a time of 1 hour, 30 minutes and 3 seconds, while Ma finished a mere second behind, claiming the silver medal.

Race walking has always been a traditional stronghold for Chinese athletics, and it has been a prolific source of gold medals for the country in both the World Championships and the Olympic Games.  

However, in both the recent Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Oregon World Championships, the Chinese race walking team were unable to bag the top spot on the podium, missing out on those coveted gold medals. 

Before the start of this year's Asian Games, Yang voiced the deep-seated desire among Chinese race walkers to turn the tables on the international stage. Now, both she and her teammates have achieved that long-awaited victory. 

Yet, Yang is not content with just reigning supreme in Asia. "The most important goal at the moment is the Paris Olympics. We have one year to reflect, prepare, and compete," she said.

In this edition of the Asian Games, a total of 48 gold medals are up for grabs in the athletics category. The Chinese athletics team boasts a strong contingent of 62 athletes, with 28 male and 34 female competitors, vying for glory in a total of 40 events. 

Since the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul, the Chinese athletics team have achieved a remarkable feat by consistently dominating the gold medal standings for nine consecutive editions. A noteworthy highlight occurred during the 1990 Beijing Asian Games when China, as the hosts, secured a whopping 29 gold medals out of 43 events. 

Later in the day, Olympic champion Gong Lijiao and rising star Song Jiayuan will team up as a formidable duo in the women's shot put event, while Wang Zheng will join forces with her younger teammate Zhao Jie in the women's discus throw, aiming to sweep the top two spots on the podium.