Turning her loss on Saturday around, Chen Jing (陳靜) yesterday beat Singapore's Jing Jun Hong (
The first set between Chen and Jing was a close one with Jing winning 21-18. Chen gave away eight points in the match because of unforced errors and at first appeared visibly shaken. Chen is currently ranked third in the world, while Jing is ranked 23rd.
"In the first game I missed a few good opportunities and that disrupted my strategy and rhythm. She [Jing] attacked harder than she normally would and I was standing too far away from the table to counter attack," Chen said after the match. "I made several errors and became frustrated."
PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
But after the first set, Chen started playing more aggressively, using fast play and hard smashes to put Jing off her rhythm. Chen dominated in the three sets that followed, winning 21-14, 21-15, 21-10. In the third set Chen racked up 12 points because of Jing's bobbles.
Yesterday's medal was Chen's third in Olympic competition. Chen won the gold at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, at the time competing for China. She moved to Taiwan in 1991 and competed in the 1996 Olympics, winning a silver in women's singles.
"The first time I was young and full of confidence. I knew I could win because I was representing China and I was technically the best. This time I wanted to challenge myself because these are the `Games of the new millennium.' I was confident with my technique this time. It seems that physically I'm still comparable to those playing now. But if I had won yesterday, that would have been even better," she said, when asked how she felt about winning her third Olympic medal.
Coming to Taiwan has had its challenges, Chen said yesterday, comparing the training conditions in both countries.
"I don't have as many training partners now for me to practice all the styles," Chen said.
When asked whether she would come back again in four years to try and win another Olympic medal in Athens, Chen said: "I don't know, I'll have to ask God."
DEFENSE: The first set of three NASAMS that were previously purchased is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, sources said Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday. Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year. Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS. The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added. Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of
GET TO SAFETY: Authorities were scrambling to evacuate nearly 700 people in Hualien County to prepare for overflow from a natural dam formed by a previous typhoon Typhoon Podul yesterday intensified and accelerated as it neared Taiwan, with the impact expected to be felt overnight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, while the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration announced that schools and government offices in most areas of southern and eastern Taiwan would be closed today. The affected regions are Tainan, Kaohsiung and Chiayi City, and Yunlin, Chiayi, Pingtung, Hualien and Taitung counties, as well as the outlying Penghu County. As of 10pm last night, the storm was about 370km east-southeast of Taitung County, moving west-northwest at 27kph, CWA data showed. With a radius of 120km, Podul is carrying maximum sustained
Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning. As of 8pm, the typhoon was 1,020km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23kph. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA said. Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest
TRAJECTORY: The severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, and would influence the nation to varying degrees, a forecaster said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it would likely issue a sea warning for Tropical Storm Podul tomorrow morning and a land warning that evening at the earliest. CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said the severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving west at 21kph and packing sustained winds of 108kph and gusts of up to 136.8kph, the CWA said. Lin said that the tropical storm was about 1,710km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, with two possible trajectories over the next one
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