China's Zhang Wenxiu broke her own Asian record to win the women's hammer and the first athletics gold medal of the 15th Asian Games on Friday.
Tajikistan's Dilshod Nazarov grabbed his country's first gold, and second medal of the Games overall, when he threw 74.43 meters at his fifth attempt to win the men's hammer throw final.
Bahrain's Tareq Mubarak Salem also won his adopted country's first gold medal in Doha, with a come-from-behind victory in the men's 3,000m steeplechase final.
The 20-year-old Zhang unleashed a powerful throw of 74.15 meters at her penultimate attempt to eclipse the previous Asian mark of 73.24m, which was set by her at a national athletics meet on June 24, 2005.
"Before the Games I didn't think much about setting a new record an during competition I just wanted to throw up to my usual standard," Zhang told reporters at the Khalifa Stadium.
"My next goal is to break the world record," she added.
Zhang, making her first appearance in the Asian Games, was in a class of her own throughout the eight-woman competition as each of her six throws was successful and good enough to take the title.
Zhang's compatriot Gu Yuan, the defending Asian Games champion, grabbed silver with a poor throw of 65.13m, while Japan's Aya Masumi took bronze with her third attempt of 62.27m.
"I have a leg injury so I couldn't throw my best," said the 24- year-old Gu. "I believe if I work hard I can get back to my best."
Masumi's compatriot Yuka Murofushi, the younger sister of Olympic hammer champion Koji, was in fourth place. Koji was expected to be one of the stars of the Doha Games but a calf injury forced him to withdraw at the last moment.
His absence left the men's hammer throw wide open, and Nazarov snatched the gold medal with a throw of 74.43 -- more than 10m off Murofushi's Asian record. Kuwait's Ali Zenkawi took silver with his second throw of 73.14m, ahead of third-placed Hiroaki Doi of Japan.
In the absence of Qatar's two-time world 3,000 steeplechase champion Saif Saaeed Shaheen, Tareq Mubarak Salem, who was born in Kenya, finished the event with the fastest time of 8 minutes 26.85 seconds.
Gamal Belal Salem of Qatar earned a consolation silver medal for the hosts at 8:29.10.
Chinese teenager Lin Xiangqian had been in the leading position until the two Salems whisked past him during the last lap, and came third in 8:30.49.
Japan's Kayoko Fukushi lived up to her status as the world leader over the 10,000m this year after winning the 25-lap race in style.
Fukushi jumped to the lead from the start and held it to the finish, clocking the fastest time of 31 minutes 29.38 seconds.
"I am very happy to win the gold medal. It was very good, a good race," said the 24-year-old.
Kareema Saleh Jasim of Bahrein staged a powerful sprint to edge Japanese veteran Hiromi Ominami for the runner-up place at 32:17. 14. Ominami, 31, had to settle for the bronze medal at 32:18.02.
"It was a tough race but I was determined to win silver, and I did," said Jasim.