WEIGHTLIFTING
Taiwan’s Yao wins gold
Taiwan won one gold, one silver and one bronze medal at the International Weightlifting Federation’s 2012 Junior World Championships in Guatemala on Thursday. Yao Chi-ling, 19, took gold in the 75kg and over division, plus a silver medal for lifting 106kg in the same category of the snatch event. Chung Yun-ling, 18, took bronze in the same snatch division. Meanwhile, Chang Kang-ming, 20, took sixth place in the men’s 56kg division, which is the best result Taiwan has ever earned in this category in the past seven years at international competitions. At this year’s competition, male Taiwanese athletes competed in the 56kg, 62kg, 69kg and 75kg events, while female weightlifters participated in the 48kg, 53kg, 63kg and 75kg divisions. The championships ran from May 10 to 18 in Antigua City, and attracted 118 female and 154 male athletes from 51 countries.
SOCCER
Platini expects Merkel visit
UEFA president Michel Platini is confident German Chancellor Angela Merkel will attend the final of Euro 2012 in Ukraine — if Germany reach the tournament’s showpiece in Kiev on July 1. Together with EU commissioners and several other Western politicians, Merkel has threatened to boycott the month-long tournament, which Ukraine is co-hosting with Poland next month, in sympathy with jailed Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko. “I’m not worried about the situation,” Platini told CNN in an exclusive interview ahead of yesterday’s Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Chelsea in the German city. “The politicians they are in their role and the Ukrainians they are in their role. I’m in my role and that is not to do politics, it’s not to do religion and not to interfere in everything. That means they can say what they want — we continue to organize the Euro [2012]. If Germany is in final of the Euro [2012] I would be sure that Madame Merkel would come to the final.”
MOUNTAINEERING
Woman, 73, climbs Everest
A 73-year-old Japanese woman has climbed Mount Everest, smashing her own record to again become the oldest woman to scale the world’s highest mountain. Ang Tshering of the China Tibet Mountaineering Association says Tamae Watanabe reached Everest’s 8,850m summit from the northern side of the mountain in Tibet yesterday morning with four other team members. Tshering says Watanabe and the other team members are in good condition and are on their way back to the base of the mountain. Watanabe had climbed Everest in 2002 at the age of 63 to become the oldest woman to scale the mountain.
BASEBALL
Manager, umpire get ban
Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel and umpire Bob Davidson were each banned for one game by Major League Baseball (MLB) on Friday following their nose-to-nose shouting match during a game earlier this week. Manuel was ejected in the eighth inning of the Phillies’ 4-3 win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday for disputing a call made by Davidson that allowed an opposing player to reach first base safely on a dropped third strike. The Phillies manager left the dugout to argue and came face-to-face with Davidson on the field for a heated argument that lasted about 40 seconds. Manuel was suspended for the on-field incident while Davidson was banned for “repeated violations of the Office of the Commissioner’s standards for situation handling,” MLB said in two separate statements.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and