China's rowing domination has been chipped away at the 15th Asian Games as gold medals were split by four teams.

China entered nine events and took five. Japan and Uzbekistan walked away with two golds apiece and South Korea landed one.

Uzbekistan encroached on China's domain by winning the men's double sculls and then snatching the women's lightweight double sculls, in which China is reigning world champion.

Mirzakhakim Tukhtamirzaev, a journalist from Uzbekistan, said Uzbekistan took the 2006 world championships in the British city of Eton as a warmup to the Asian Games.

China's nightmare went on as they lost the men's four and the men's single sculls, the events they had never lost in the previous Asian Games.

In the men's single sculls, 19-year-old Shin Eun Chul won the gold, the first rowing gold for South Korea at the Asian Games.

Another rowing power Japan displayed convincing performance with two golds and three silvers in pocket.

Japan defended the men's lightweight double sculls and took the men's four.

Daisaku Takeda, a medalist in the men's lightweight double sculls in Busan 2002, turned to the men's lightweight single sculls, in which he snatched a silver, his fifth Asiad medal.

Takeda, who had been tipped as an odds-on title favorite after topping the heats and semifinals, said he felt Thursday's final was "so bad" and "a deep regret".
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(Xinhua News Agency December 8, 2006)