Park Tae Hwan of Korea, record holder and winner of three gold at these Games

Today the centre of sporting action moved from the water to track and field – or rather to the road. The day featured spectacular finales to both swimming and rowing, but the baton of showcase sporting endeavour was handed over to athletics with the first event, the men's and women's 20k walks.

In swimming there were plenty of surprises. Korea’s Park Tae Hwan, just 17 years of age, became the first swimmer in Asia to swim the 1500m under 15-minutes, setting a new Asian record on his way to winning gold. He is the fourth male swimmer in Games history to win three individual gold at a single Games.

Tao Li won Singapore their first swimming gold at these Asian Games in a surprise 50m butterfly win. And Japan’s Kosuke Kitajima secured double gold by adding the 200m breaststroke to his 100m win.

In the rowing, China took three of the five gold on offer, with Japan and Korea, the other two giants of Asian Games sport, taking the remaining two. In all, China took five of the 10 gold on offer, with Japan winning three and Korea and Uzbekistan getting two each.

But even as swimming and rowing reached their climax, athletics began to step into the vacuum that these sports leave behind. Today the men's and women’s 20km walk took place, with China winning both setting out their intentions to try to dominate once more.

Athletics begins in earnest tomorrow, but while headline events like swimming and athletics attract the greatest number of fans, and award the most medals, variety is the still the spice of sport. It also offers sports greatest reward: surprise.

All winners of the day »

Today in three-day eventing, Qatar finished the second day with a surprise first place in the team and second place in the individual rankings, though not just the equestrian competitors, but the whole of the Asian Games family were in shock after the tragic death of Kim Hyung Chil of Korea during the cross country race following a fall.

In badminton, There was a turn around of fortune when China’s scheduled gold haul got derailed. After winning the men’s and women’s team titles earlier in the week, China’s No 1 seeds in mixed doubles, men’s doubles and women’s singles were all knocked out in the quarterfinals.

That is the one perennial constant of the Asian Games. Whether in the pool or on the water, in track or field, surprise is always part of the action.