ATHLETICS
Taiwan’s Li strikes gold
Taiwan’s Li Ting-yu came from behind to bag a gold in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase at the Asian Junior Athletics Championships in Sri Lanka on Monday. “In the final 10 meters, I overtook the Japanese runner by using my willpower,” Li said after winning the race in a time of 10 minutes, 44.94 seconds at the Sugathadasa International Stadium in Colombo. Li, a 12th grader who remained second or third for most of the race, took the lead coming into the last 100m, but was overtaken by Mizuki Sato of Japan. Li didn’t give up and countered by powering past the Japanese with only meters to go. Li’s performance was not only an improvement on her personal best of 10:55.46, but it also broke the Taiwanese record. “I ran smoothly. The weather this evening was great, so I had the opportunity to perform well,” said Li, who had been feeling unwell ahead of the race with an upset stomach. She also vowed to run an even better time in this year’s World Junior Championships to be held next month in Barcelona, Spain. As of Monday, Taiwan had bagged six gold, three silver and four bronze medals at the championships.
SAILING
Yacht sinks in Strait Cup
All six crew members were rescued after a Chinese yacht sank in the Taiwan Strait while competing in a race to China, officials said yesterday. The 12m Wind and Surf, based in China’s Xiamen, reported it was taking on water on Monday, just hours after it started the race from Kaohsiung. The crew was forced to abandon the boat because it was going down so quickly, Chan Cheng-feng of the Kaohsiung Sailing Association said. They were rescued by the Taiwanese coast guard. A total of 17 ships, including 12 from China, took part in the race that finished in Xiamen, organizers said. It was the first accident of its kind since the Strait Cup started in 2009.
TENNIS
Kohlschreiber wins opener
Philipp Kohlschreiber began the defense of his Gerry Weber Open title in Halle, Germany, with a win over wild-card Dustin Brown in an all-German matchup on Monday. The 163rd-ranked Brown twice pushed Kohlschreiber to a tiebreak, before the eighth-seeded defending champion won 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/4) in 1 hour, 23 minutes. Canada’s Milos Raonic, the other seeded player playing on the opening day of the grass-court tournament, defeated last year’s beaten finalist Philipp Petzschner. Fifth-seeded Raonic served 19 aces to beat the German 7-5, 7-6 (7/1), setting up a second-round clash with Zhang Ze of China, who overcame another German, Tobias Kamke, 6-4, 7-6 (7/2). The 28-year-old Kohlschreiber next faces Lukas Kubot after the Pole beat Jarkko Nieminen of Finland 6-4, 6-4. There were wins too for Mikhail Youzhny of Russia, who beat Dutchman Robin Haase 6-3, 6-2, and Germany’s Cedrik-Marcel Stebe, who defeated Argentina’s Carlos Berlocq 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.
GOLF
Teen gets US Open spot
Fourteen-year-old Andy Zhang of China is set to become the youngest competitor at a US Open since World War II after American Brandt Snedeker and Britain’s Paul Casey withdrew from the event on Monday because of injuries. Zhang, who attends school in the US, gained his spot in the 156-strong field at the Olympic Club when Englishman Casey pulled out because of a shoulder injury. American Tadd Fujikawa was previously the youngest player since World War II at a US Open — aged 15 years, five months and seven days during the 2006 edition at Winged Foot.
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
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was