JAKARTA -- Japan pushed its total of gold medals to 25 through Thursday's action at the Asian Games in Jakarta as swimmer Rikako Ikee added one more to her leading medal haul, grabbing her fifth gold with a victory in the women's 4x100-meter medley relay.
In addition to Ikee, Japan earned two golds in the pool -- the women's 50 breaststroke and the men's 100 freestyle -- and in fencing took the women's foil team event.
Team Japan A also captured back-to-back golds in the men's trios bowling competition.
"This was the race I could simply feel happy in," Ikee said after Thursday's medley relay.
Japan finished second behind China in Wednesday's mixed 4x100 medley relay race, which featured Ikee.
"Yesterday I was so disappointed. I swam with a determination that I would never be overtaken by anyone [in my leg of the race] today," Ikee said after the women's medley relay.
Ikee, Natsumi Sakai, Satomi Suzuki and Tomomi Aoki finished in a Japanese- and Asian Games-record of 3 minutes 54.73 seconds.
Sakai, who won the 100 backstroke, and Suzuki, the winner in the 100 breaststroke, each finished first in their legs. Said Ikee: "My thinking was to widen the gap over the other teams in my leg because I wanted Aoki to feel relaxed as she swam."
Aoki, who was crying after Wednesday's loss, said, "Thanks to my outstanding teammates, I could collect the medal with the color of excellence."
Ikee said trying to stay motivated and a strong sense of fatigue made her pause at times.
"The joy of winning a gold can chase away the feeling of fatigue," she said.
Ikee tops the individual medal standings with five gold medals, followed by Chinese Olympic silver medalist Xu Jiayu's four golds.
Although Ikee was hoping for the MVP honor, there will likely be no such award this year because of the lack of sponsors.
Earlier Thursday, Suzuki had posted back-to back 50 breaststroke victories -- following her win at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games -- in a meet-record 30.83. The win in the 4x100 medley relay and the 100 breaststroke on Sunday gives her three gold medals here. As Suzuki was aiming at setting a Japan record in the event, she said that she was a little disappointed because the time was not what she expected. Still, she has two consecutive wins in the event and said, "I have become more confident about future races."
Meanwhile, the men's 100 freestyle was a fierce competition between Japanese swimmers as Shinri Shioura won the gold in 48.71, a mere 0.01 ahead of silver medalist Katsumi Nakamura. "From now on I have to plan for the Olympics [in Tokyo in 2020]," Shioura said.
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