Incheon: Japanese swim star Kosuke Hagino gave another glimpse of his vast potential by winning two more Asian Games gold medals, here on Monday.

China, who have finished at the top of the medals table at the last eight Asian Games, finally pulled clear at the top of the table after being matched gold for gold by hosts South Korea on the first two days of competition.

China have won 26 gold medals, ahead of South Korea’s 14 and Japan’s 13. A total of 439 gold medals will be handed out in 36 sports at the Games, which close on October 4.

Ri Jong Hwa gave North Korea their third weightlifting gold of the Games and left no one in any doubt about who was responsible for her victory in the 58kg category.

“Through the guts and courage given by our leader Kim Jong Un, I believe I could absolutely win,” she said proudly.

North Korea’s Sol Kyong also showed plenty of guts and courage in the women’s judo 78kg final, but her South Korean rival Jeong Gyeong-mi had just a little bit more.

“I thought about quitting so many times because training was so hard,” said Jeong. “Sol Kyong was the world champion last year and she is the one who I am afraid of most. I’m just relieved I didn’t get injured and won in the end.”

The South Korean women’s 25m pistol team also won gold, but after taking 12 over the first two days of competition, Monday marked a significant speed bump in the hosts’ race for their stated target of 90 gold medals.

The Ongnyeon International Shooting Range provided some early controversy when judges disqualified China from the women’s 10m air rifle team event, ruling that Zhang Binbin’s was not within the regulation maximum weight limits.

However, after the Chinese appealed, the decision was overturned and China’s trio were allowed to keep their gold medal — and the world record they set to get it.

Iran took silver behind China in the team event, but the colour of the medal was not to Elaheh Ahmadi’s liking. “I’m not satisfied with the results,” she said. “My shooting speed has become slower after I gave birth to my baby.”

China's Wang Shixian won her singles match against South Korea's Bae Yeonju to take her team ahead in the team gold medal badminton match on Monday. Earlier, the doubles duo of Zhao Yunlei and Tian Qing won their match.

Singapore’s sepaktakraw team were delighted to get a medal of any colour after Laos were disqualified for arriving too late for their semi-final match the previous night.

Laos explained that there was a mix-up with the schedule, but under the strict rules of the competition they were ruled to have been a no-show, making them ineligible for the medals.

“We are not sure what was the main cause yet,” confessed Singapore captain Mohamad Amran.

Medals were earned, not gifted, at the Munhak Park Tae-hwan Aquatics Centre where Japan took four gold medals to China’s two.

A day after his devastating late sprint took down Olympic champions Sun Yang and Park Tae-hwan in the 200m freestyle, Hagino was back in the pool and back on the podium, winning gold in the 200 individual medley and 4x200 relay.