DOHA – Iran finished runner-up to South Korea at the 4km team cycling pursuit event of the 15th Asian Games here Tuesday.

South Korea showed why it was the favorite by smashing the Asian record on its way to gold.

The Korean quartet swapped the lead with Iran until the sixth lap before making the final their own, finishing the race in 4min 12.746sec, slicing 0.016sec off the previous record which they set in Sydney in November.

Iran led from the first gate but once it went behind it struggled to stay with the Koreans, which has won the last three Asian Championships, and had to settle for silver in 4:14.226, reported AFP.

Defending champion China took bronze, beating Japan in the third-place ride-off, breaking its national record in the process.