India's Chopra goes big for gold as Barshim leaps to Asian Games record

India's javelin king Neeraj Chopra produced a giant throw to strike gold at the Asian Games on Wednesday and cap a gruelling season, with Olympic high-jump champion Mutaz Essa Barshim joining him as a winner.

They were among seven titlists on day six of the track and field in Hangzhou with just the men's and women's marathons left on Thursday, concluding an event dominated by hosts China.

Reigning Olympic and world champion Chopra was under pressure after teammate Kishore Kumar Jena produced a huge personal best of 86.77 metres, which he would later improve to 87.54m and eventual silver.

But Chopra responded emphatically with a season-best 88.88m to retain his Asian Games crown in style.

It was a massive statement and longer than the 88.17m that won him the world title at Budapest in August and the 87.58m that earned gold at the Tokyo Olympics.

"It feels great when we push each other to go farther and farther," he said of competing with Kumar Jena.

His title defence opened controversially.

He hurled close to the 85m line on his first throw and pumped the air in celebration, but his score didn't register and a lengthy delay followed.

Chopra eventually threw again, making 82.38m, then improved to 84.49m.

But Kumar Jena, who was fifth in Budapest, then produced his all-time best to put the pressure on, before Chopra hit back.

"I had some issues in the first throw. There may have been a technical problem or they may not have measured my first throw properly," he said of the delay.

"This is the first time this has happened to me in a competition. The rule is for six throws, but I threw seven times."

Chopra's job was made easier after his chief rival, Pakistan ace Arshad Nadeem, pulled out on Tuesday with a knee injury.

Kumar Jena was content to finish behind his "idol".

"Keep watching, you will see more of us in the future too," he warned.

India's medal-laden day started when they defeated archery powerhouses South Korea.

South Korea dominated the sport at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, snaring four of the five golds.

But the Koreans were no match for India in the gold-medal match of the mixed-team compound event, the Indian duo of Ojas Deotale and Jyothi Surekha Vennam squeezing to victory 159-158.

Uzbekistan's Sharifa Davronova was crowned triple jump champion with a new personal best 14.09m. India won the men's 4x400m relay and Bahrain took out the women's race.