An 18-year-old university student qualified for next year’s London Olympics in the long jump with a leap of 8.11m at a track and field competition in Taichung yesterday.
The jump by Lin Ching-hsuan of Fujen Catholic University met the 8.1m B standard for Olympic qualification set by the International Association of Athletics Federations last month, making him Taiwan’s first track and field athlete to qualify for the London Games.
“I’ve just given myself the best birthday gift,” said Lin, who will soon turn 19.
Athletes hoping to reach the Olympics must meet either an A or B standard in their particular event. No more than three athletes can represent a country in any particular event and at least one per country can qualify based on the less rigorous B standard.
The A standard in the long jump for men is 8.2m.
Lin became only the third Taiwanese athlete to break the 8m barrier and his distance of 8.11m was the third-best in the country’s history.
Nai Hui-fang holds the national record with a jump of 8.34m at the East Asian Games in Shanghai in 1993. The only other jump greater than Lin’s was an 8.16m effort by Chao Chih-kuo at the National College and University Games in 1995.
The 1.68m tall Lin’s previous best came at the Asian Youth Track and Field Championships last year, where he won gold with a jump of 7.94m.
Track and field is traditionally one of Taiwan’s weakest events in international sporting competitions. The country has not won an Olympic track and field medal since 1968, when Chi Cheng won a bronze medal in the 80m hurdles.
Taiwanese gymnast Tang Chia-hung on Sunday topped the men’s horizontal bar event at the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) World Cup in Osijek, Croatia, scoring 15.233 to take his third title this season. Tang delivered an outstanding performance in the final, earning a difficulty score of 6.500 and an execution score of 8.633 with a 0.1 stick bonus. His closest competitor was Milad Karimi of Kazakhstan, who finished second with 14.933 points. It was Tang’s third gold medal in the FIG World Cup series this year, following his horizontal bar wins in Azerbaijan on March 8, and in Turkey on March
The Daredevils yesterday took eight catches in the final as they eked out a victory in the Taiwan Cricket Triangular Tournament against PCCT at Yingfeng Cricket Ground in Taipei’s Songshan District. PCCT’s batting lineup collapsed after they asked the Daredevils to bowl in the T20 decider of the weekend tournament that also involved the Formosa Cricket Club. PCCT were bundled out for 76 in 16.2 overs against a disciplined Daredevils attack. Ninad Malwade was the top scorer in the innings with 21, but he was among those who offered chances to the fielders. Shane Ferreira and Jason Cameron took three wickets each, with
This year’s Taiwan Athletics Open, which offers Taiwanese athletes an opportunity to compete against their international peers, would be held under a new name after its organizers had earlier announced the event’s cancelation. In a statement issued yesterday, the Chinese Taipei Athletics Association said the competition would still take place on June 6-7 at Banciao Stadium, but under the name “New Taipei City Athletics Open 2026.” The event was given a new name to emphasize its local identity and conform with the international practice of naming World Athletics Tour events after cities, the association said. It said it would soon
Taiwanese shortstop Cheng Tsung-che on Friday made history for the Boston Red Sox’s Triple A affiliate, hitting the Worcester Red Sox’s first cycle, while netting two runs, as they beat fellow Taiwan teammate Stuart Fairchild’s Columbus Clippers. The 24-year-old former Pittsburgh Pirates prospect went 4-4, completing a full cycle, starting with a triple in the second inning off Ryan Webb in the WooSox’s 9-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians’ Triple A affiliate. He scored in the same inning after teammate Vinny Capra, a fellow former Pirate, grounded out. The Pingtung County native followed that up with a walk in the third, an
RSS