By Hiroki Noda,
After becoming the first swimmer to win all three breaststroke events at a single world championships in July, China's Qin Haiyang will try to replicate the sweep this week at the Asian Games.
Qin got the first one out of the way Monday, winning the 100 meters in an Asian Games-record 57.76 seconds, a whopping 1.33 ahead of compatriot Yan Zibei at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre's Aquatic Sports Arena.
The 24-year-old took the lead early and held on, drawing rousing cheers from the crowd.
"I'm quite pleased with the result today," said Qin, who completed a sweep of the world titles in Fukuoka with a world record in the 200.
"My form is quite similar to what it was at the world championships. I'm trying out some new race strategies. I'm more aggressive in the first half of my swims, going faster."
Qin was surrounded by a huge number of reporters trying to get words from the gold medal hope for next year's Paris Olympics.
And he is thinking about another new world record here.
"The one I want to break the most is the 50 meters. It's an event that I feel more confident in, and I've also been putting more effort into training for this event," Qin said.
Qin is scheduled to swim the 200 meters Thursday and the 50 meters Friday, the final day of the Hangzhou swimming program.
On being referred to as "Breaststroke Prince," he said, "Maybe just call me a breaststroke swimmer."
==Kyodo
