Kazakh triathlete Arlan Zhanabay won bronze at the 20th Asian Games in Japan, earning Kazakhstan's first medal of the tournament, infohub.kz reports.
The triathlon consisted of three stages: a 750-meter swim, a 20-kilometer bike ride, and a 5-kilometer run. Zhanabay completed the distance in 53 minutes 11 seconds, securing third place.
Japan's Takumi Hozo won gold in 52 minutes 56 seconds. China's Xirui Zhang took silver in 53 minutes 5 seconds. Another Kazakhstani, Ayan Beisenbayev, finished ninth in 54 minutes 56 seconds.
Zhanabay's medal is the first for the national team at the 2026 Asian Games. The athlete made his debut at this level of competition.
"I'm very happy. I planned to fight for a higher position early in the race, but it didn't quite work out. In the end, I had to battle for third place with an athlete from neighboring Uzbekistan. I gave it everything. It was very hard. At the finish, my vision was even darkening, but I managed to become a medalist. After the bike leg, I had to catch up to the group. And when I did, I realized I could fight for a medal. The course wasn't very comfortable. There were many turns and U-turns. After the bike leg, my legs were already tired before the run. But we prepared well, my form was excellent, so I'm satisfied with the result. Of course, I would have liked to win, but I'm very happy with third place. The hardest part was the run, especially the last 500 meters. Otherwise, everything went well," the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan quoted the 20-year-old Zhanabay as saying.
On the first medal day of the competition, Kazakhstan also claimed its first gold. Cyclist Rinata Sultanova became the 2026 Asian Games champion.