China dominated rowing on the opening day of Hangzhou 2022 ©Getty Images

China claimed the first gold medal of the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games as they dominated rowing with six of the seven available titles.

Zou Jiaqi and Qiu Xiuping clinched the historic title at the Fuyang Water Sports Centre with a commanding performance.

The pair cruised to victory by almost 10 seconds in the lightweight women's double sculls final. 

They looked effortlessly synchronised which paid dividends as there was not a single wasted stroke.

It was a much-improved performance from their sixth-placed finish at this year's World Championships in Belgrade.

The 7:06.78 time was matched closest by Uzbekistan's Luizakhon Islomova and Malika Tagmatova who clocked in after 7:16.49 for silver.

"I am very excited," Zou said.

"Because it is my first time to participate in the Asian Games.

Zou Jiaqi, left, praised the raucous crowd for willing her and Qiu Xiuping to the finish line ©Getty Images
Zou Jiaqi, left, praised the raucous crowd for willing her and Qiu Xiuping to the finish line ©Getty Images

"Rowing is also the event that generates the first gold in this Asian Games.

"I felt stressed but motivated."

World Championships silver medallist Sun Man was then joined by Fan Junjie with the second Chinese gold of the day despite almost allowing complacency to set in.

They took the men's lightweight double sculls gold after Indians Arjun Lal Jat and Arvind Singh pushed them late on.

Lu Shiyu and Shen Shuangmei completed the hat-trick with a routine row for the women's double sculls gold.

Tokyo 2020 bronze medallists continued the hosts' stunning form to take the men's double sculls win.

The fifth straight triumph came courtesy Zhang Shuxian, Liu Xiaoxin, Wang Zifeng, and Xu Xingye as they finished the two-kilometre course in just 6:42.03 to defeat Japanese and Vietnamese quartets.

Sun Man, left, and Fan Junjie powered to victory as China won six of seven gold medals on the first day of competition at Hangzhou 2022 ©Getty Images
Sun Man, left, and Fan Junjie powered to victory as China won six of seven gold medals on the first day of competition at Hangzhou 2022 ©Getty Images

The first non-Chinese gold medal went the way of Hong Kong duo Lam San Tung and Wong Wai Chun.

They found success in the men's pair in front of favourites Shekhroz Hakimov and Dilshodjon Khudoyberdiev of Uzbekistan, who won the preliminary race.

The two crew were inseparable for 1500m before Lam and Wong pulled away to finish in 6:44.20, 3.91 in front of the Uzbeks.

Normal form resumed in the men's eight, the final event of the day which is highly-anticipated due to its high speeds.

Li Wenlei, Chen Xianfeng, Xu Qiao, Lyu Li, Ji Gaoxing, Cai Pengpeng, Ni Xulin, Nie Yide, and cox Liang Weixiong combined for a time of 5:40.17 to seal the win.

A sublime final 500 metres clinched the glory after they were matched for much of the race by Indonesia.

The underdogs were unable to keep pace however and eventually dropped off, even losing second place to India who pipped them late on.