Chinese media Tencent News' sports column "Tidan" published a column on the 28th titled "Japan's Olympic Champion Destroyed in One Blow! Yan Ziyi (Yen Zuyi)'s Terrifying Talent Recalls Usain Bolt."

In the women's javelin final held on the 27th, China's 18-year-old Yan immediately set a new competition record of 70.46m on her first throw. She showed a magnificent throw that easily surpassed the Japanese national record of 68.92m set by Paris Olympic champion Haruka Kitaguchi this month at the World Ultimate Championships. Kitaguchi then attempted six throws but took the silver medal with 62.70m.

The "Tidan" column commented, "It was a truly uninspiring match. There was no tension at all. Yan might not have been on camera for even a minute. She easily threw 70.46m on her first attempt, breaking the competition record. And she wasn't seen on camera again until she stepped onto the podium."

Regarding Kitaguchi, it reported, "Although she is the Paris Olympic gold medalist, her first and second throws were 56.48m and 57.16m, respectively. Her third throw was a foul. She finally exceeded 60m on her fourth throw, and ultimately threw 62.70m on her sixth throw," adding, "After the match, Kitaguchi, unable to accept the reality, had a mental breakdown and shed tears."

Furthermore, it explained, "Is javelin throwing this easy? No, not really. In current world competitions, throwing over 60m is already considered world-class. Around 63m is the standard to stand on a world competition podium. Exceeding 65m makes you a superstar. That's why when Kitaguchi won the Paris Olympics with a throw of 65.80m, she was treated as a national treasure by Japanese media. However, Yan, with a skill level that could paralyze one's mind, sensationally appeared in 2026."

The column introduced that although Yan had been doing shot put, her results stagnated, and her coach advised her to try javelin. She then threw 64.28m in 2024 to break the world U20 record and won the World Youth Championships with a throw of 63.05m. It also mentioned that having turned 18 this year, she became eligible to compete in the Diamond League. At the Xiamen meet in May, she threw 71.74m (2nd longest in world history) on her first attempt, breaking the Asian record and the world U20 record. She subsequently won all four competitions in Oslo (67.11m), Paris (67.44m), Monaco (68.75m), and Brussels (68.42m).

Furthermore, it stated that because "Yan often finishes many matches with just one throw, she is called 'Yan Ichito' by athletics fans." It also reported, "There is even more frightening data. Prior to the start of this Asian Games, Yan held six of the top 10 world-best javelin throws by women this season. The reason she only held six was because she had only thrown six times."

The column stated, "After the (Asian Games) match, Kitaguchi's expression was grim. This was because her record was a mere 62.70m, and the difference with Yan was nearly 8 meters. And what was likely even more frustrating for Kitaguchi was that Yan's technique appeared still immature, with many areas for improvement. Yet, Yan easily defeated everyone," and commented, "Talent is truly this cruel and this unreasonable."

Then, it mentioned, "This is similar to the 'Fastest Race in Human History' at the men's 100-meter final of the 2009 Berlin World Championships." It reported, "Renowned athletes like Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell, Daniel Bailey, and Richard Thompson all pushed Usain Bolt, and in this race, Gay improved his record to 9.71 seconds. Normally, this record alone would be enough to make history. However, Bolt clocked 9.58 seconds. What further broke their spirits was that Bolt still showed composure before crossing the finish line."

Furthermore, it concluded, "It's true that the women's javelin final was a bit underwhelming to watch. However, it wasn't because the opponents were weak; Yan was simply too strong. If anything could impede her progress, it would probably only be an injury. For the next 15-20 years, the women's javelin event is highly likely to become boring due to Yan's presence. The only highlight will be when and where she will break the world record," and finished with, "Ah, how lonely it is to be invincible..." (Translation and editing by Kitada)