Later, Nutrilite Extreme Challenge teamed up with the Aggressive Skaters Association to put on a "world-class" two-day event at the Warner Village complex in Taipei.
Last month, the three-time winner of the Taipei International Marathon, Vladimir Kotov of Belarus out-sprinted Konstantin Permintin of Russia on the final lap to win the race.
Veteran Hsieh Min-nan (謝敏男) was chosen as Taiwan's golfer of the year, provoking fears that the country's golfing youngsters are in short supply.
In announcing its decision the Golf Association of the ROC praised the 61-year-old Hsieh for his recent run of good form and long-term service to the game.
Golf is the only major international sport that currently has growing corporate support in Taiwan.
Taiwan has the courses and it has the organizational skills, as the BMW Asian Open last month proved.
Hsieh came in among the top finishers from Taiwan, but Jarmo Sandelin of Sweden took the honors at the US$1.5 million event, edging Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal and Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee by a shot.
The biggest story of the year in Taiwan sports was undoubtedly the Baseball World Cup, also last month.
After years of diminishing returns for Taiwan's "national game" -- as it was called by the president -- the country opened its account with a win against Italy in front of 10,000 fervent fans.
Other wins followed and Taiwan emerged from the qualifying games for a semifinal match-up against the US.
Team USA rolled over Taiwan, but the home team regained face after winning 3-0 in a bronze-medal dust-up with Asian baseball powerhouse Japan. The US lost 5-3 to world champions Cuba in the final.
The sight of thousands of Taiwanese painting their faces in the national colors and proudly waving the country's flag was not repeated at the AFC Women's Championships, held earlier this month.
North Korea beat Japan in the final 2-0 to be crowned the queens of Asia's soccer. Taiwan was beaten by Japan earlier in the competition.
Taipei City Mayor Ma made a plea to leave the flags at home, but was later castigated for not being patriotic.
Taiwan got its own back at the end of the year, however, when 17-year-old Tseng Jeng-cheng (曾政承) won a gold medal at the World Cyber Games in Seoul.
On finding he had won the "Age of Empires III" event he shouted, "Taiwan No. 1!" and waved an ROC flag.
The Chinese press corps was livid, but they could not prevent him from celebrating. Tseng was unrepentant and became one of Taiwan's most welcome and unexpected sports heroes.
RSS