NAGOYA, Oct. 19 -- Cui Zhe's gold was already secured when she called for 120 kilograms, a weight she said she had never lifted in competition. She put it up cleanly, turned to the crowd and waved.

China took 26 gold medals on the first day of competition at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games, the International Paralympic Committee reported, and Cui's title in the women's 41kg powerlifting on Monday was the first of them, according to Xinhua. She opened with 110kg, 10kg clear of Tursynay Kabyl of Kazakhstan, and moved to 115kg on her second attempt.

The title was settled at Kabyl's third attempt. When the Kazakh lifter, the penultimate to go, selected 104kg, Cui could no longer be caught. That left the 120kg as a matter between Cui and h...