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Taiwanese ‘life saver’ claims bronze

Australia’s Thomas Darcy Arnel goes airborne as he competes in the men’s barefoot waterski jump competition at the World Games in Kaohsiung yesterday. PHOTO: SAM YEH, AFP

Taiwan’s Yang Chin-kuei lost the cross-strait battle of the swimming pool yesterday as she finished behind two Chinese athletes to grab bronze in the final of the 200m life saving obstacle race at the World Games.

Yang had gotten the crowd’s hopes up in the morning as she set a World Games record of two minutes 8.56 seconds in her heat, qualifying for the final in first place.

But she couldn’t repeat her heroics in the final, despite swimming even faster (2.05.61), as she finished third behind China’s Lu Ying (2.01.61) and Yang Jieqiao (2.05.48).

Yang Chin-kuei started well and was just ahead of Lu at the first turn, a situation that was reversed by the 100m mark. Lu then began to pull away and Yang Jieqioao then took second place surging past Yang Chin-kuei on the third length and staying ahead to grab silver.

The bronze medal was Taiwan’s only medal of the day and took the overall medal count to five golds, six silvers and three bronzes. Taiwan now stands seventh in the overall table.

Taiwanese swimmer Yang Chin-kuei yesterday wins a bronze medal in the 200m lifesaving pool obstacle race at the World Games Kaohsiung. PHOTO: CHANG CHUNG-YI, TAIPEI TIMES

Earlier in the day in the men’s event, Taiwan’s Lin Yu-an, Li Chengshuan and Lin Chun-chu were eliminated after finishing seventh, seventh and eighth in their respective heats.

In the women’s 50m manikin carry, Wang Wei-ting and Lin Hsun-wen also failed to qualify while Li Cheng-hsuan and Chen Kuan-chang suffered the same fate in the men’s event.

In other action at the pool, no Taiwanese made the finals on the first day of the fin swimming.

Competitors yesterday jump into the water in a fin swimming race at the World Games in Kaohsiung. PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUNG, TAIPEI TIMES

Taiwan’s Liu Hao-min failed to qualify for the final of the 50m apnea after finishing seventh in her heat.

The men’s 400m surface saw Yang Ping-hua fail to make the final after finishing sixth in his heat in a time of 3.12 minutes, six seconds behind the winner.

Meanwhile, on the opening day of wushu at Kaohsiung County Stadium, Taiwan missed out on the two golds on offer.

Wushu (martial arts) at the World Games features two disciplines — Taolu and Sanshou. Taolu involves competitors performing martial art routines individually, which are scored by judges. Sanshou is where two athletes spar.

Russia’s Daria Tarasova took the gold in the women’s Taolu Changquan, while in the men’s China’s Yuan Xiaochao was victorious.

Later on in the men’s 70kg Sanshou, Taiwan’s Chou Ting-yuan won one bout and lost one, beating South Korea’s Kim Deuk Su before losing to Russia’s Murad Akhadoz, while compatriot Kao Yu-chuan lost to his Iranian opponent.

Taiwan’s Liu Hao-min dives into the water in the 50m fin swimming competition at the World Games in Kaohsiung yesterday. She failed to make the final. PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUNG, TAIPEI TIMES

In the finals of the racquetball, Mexico’s Paola Longoria took gold in the women’s event, beating the US’ Rhonda Rajsich by two sets to one.

In the men’s final Jack Huczek of the US beat compatriot Rocky Carson. Vincent Gagnon of Canada took the bronze medal.

Yesterday also saw Taiwan’s men’s inline skating hockey team play their opening game over at the I-Shou University Gymnasium where they lost 7-0 to the US.
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