NANJING, East China, Oct. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- National champion Wang Liangyu won the men's 400 meters here on Tuesday to add a very first track gold medal for the sports powerhouse Guangdong at the 10th National Games.

    Wang, 21, timed 46.12 seconds, 0.87 seconds short of the national record held by Xu Zizhou who updated the mark in the third East Asian Games three years ago in Osaka, repeating his winning run in this year's National Championships over Wang Xiaoxu of Beijing on an edge of 0.29 seconds.

    Wang Xiaoxu, also 21, was the national championships silver medalist only losing to Wang Liangyu.

    Wang Liangyu's teammate Tan Biao was the third finisher in 46.66, while another Guangdong native Wang Youxin, 20, fourth in 46.86.

    Li Yipeng, the 23-year-old third placer in this year's national championships, finished a distant eighth after timing 47.38.

    The best result from Tuesday's men's 400m was far behind the world record of 43.18s, set by Michael Johnson of the United States in Sevilla in 1999, while the Asian mark of 44.56s has not been broken for 17 years since Mohamed Amer Al-Malky of Oman made it in Budapest in 1988. Enditem