Ang came fourth again in the men's 400m T13 final. Photo: SpexSG/ Jeremy Lee
Sprinter James Ethan Ang ran a season-best time of 52.25 seconds in the men’s 400m T13 final at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium but came just short of a medal for the second Games in a row.
The fifth-best qualifier (53.07) from the morning’s heats, Ang, finished behind South Korea’s eventual champion Jang Minho, who set a world record of 46.24s.
Home hope Ryota Fukunaga was second (47.98) while Thailand’s Jakkarin Dammunee claimed bronze (50.03).
“It was my best race of the season, but it was a bit disappointing because, of course, you want to hit the podium, and at the last Asian Games I was fourth as well,” the 25-year-old part-time paralegal said.
On his race execution, Ang had “no regrets”, but admitted that finishing fourth twice in a row “never feels good”.
However, it was not all doom and gloom for the sprinter, who felt he had returned to the Asiad a more mature and composed athlete.
“My goals for these Games were to come here and be more composed instead of getting lost in the fun of the Games as much, which I think I did. So that was achieved. Nevertheless, it ultimately comes down to race day.”
“Just a minute ago in the call room, even though the nerves started to get in, I just tried to shut it out, and I think I did a pretty good job of it.”
“I did my best today. It was just a bit short,” said Ang, who was also the flagbearer at the opening ceremony.
Having graduated last year, Ang lined up a series of competitions in the lead-up to the Games, with the ASEAN Para Games and two World Para Athletics (WPA) Grand Prix stops in Morocco and Tunisia providing him the necessary exposure before arriving in Nagoya.
Ang also took gold in the one-lap race in the Tunisian capital in February, where Uzbek Botir Mukhamedov came second, and Kazakh Karzhaubay Tineyev was third.
High-altitude training in Kunming, China, right before the Games also proved to be a help.
“In this race, I think I felt a good amount of energy at the end, so that could have been due to the high-altitude training.”
With the Games his season-ender, Ang said: “The one (takeaway) is to always know that the competition will always be very strong, so don't think of it lightly.”
In the field events, Muhammad Diroy Noordin posted a season’s best of 8.82m to finish fifth in the men’s shot put F40 final on Wednesday (Oct 21).
Having finished fourth in Hangzhou, the 34-year-old reflected: “I gave it my best, but it didn’t go so well. I felt good and light but was not able to fully coordinate the technique to throw further.”
“However, I am still happy to give it all I have. It was not my best, but there is still progress to be made on my shot put journey, and I will continue to put in the hard work.”
With WPA Grand Prix stops planned for Dubai and New Delhi and next June’s world championships in Tashkent firmly in his sights, Diroy said: “I will continue to work harder and push myself to the limit to achieve my goal and throw further every competition.”
The 5th Asian Para Games are held in Japan from 18 to 24 October 2026. For the latest Team Singapore coverage and news, follow Team Singapore on their social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) or visit the official Team Singapore website.