Taiwanese badminton duo Lee Yang (李洋) and Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) yesterday won the nation’s first Olympic gold medal in the sport when they prevailed over a third-seeded Chinese pair in the final of the men’s doubles at the Tokyo Olympics.
Lee and Wang, both first-time Olympians, defeated Liu Yuchen (劉雨辰) and Li Junhui (李俊慧) 21-18, 21-12 in a 34-minute final at the Musashino Forest Sports Plaza.
As of yesterday, Taiwan had bagged seven medals in Tokyo — two golds, two silvers and three bronzes — topping its previous best of five medals in 2000 and 2004.
Photo: AFP
Taiwan moved to No. 17 in the medals count on the Tokyo Olympics Web site.
China, Japan and the US placed first, second and third respectively.
Earlier, Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying (戴資穎) knocked India’s Pusarla V. Sindhu out of the women’s singles semi-finals in a clash between two of badminton’s best players.
Photo: EPA-EFE
In the first game, which world No. 1 Tai won 21-18 against Rio de Janeiro silver medalist and seventh-ranked Pusarla, the pair were evenly matched.
However, Tai picked up the pace in the second game, finishing Pusarla off 21-12 in 19 minutes.
“I reduced my mistakes and therefore didn’t have as much pressure on me,” Tai said, adding that she was not yet nervous about playing in today’s final against China’s second-ranked Chen Yufei (陳雨菲), but probably would be just before the match.
“I need to go back and relax and prepare for tomorrow, because it’s not over yet,” Pusarla said, with her eye on bronze in a match against China’s He Bingjiao (何冰嬌).
Chen overcame teammate He in the other semi-final in a battle of wills that the former won 21-16, 13-21, 21-12 and celebrated with a roar.
Earlier on Saturday, 34-year-old Kevin Cordon, who at age 12 moved from rural Zacapa in Guatemala to the capital city to pursue his dreams of reaching the Olympics, crushed South Korea’s Heo Kwang-hee 21-13, 21-18 to make the semi-finals.
Cordon, who ranks 59th in the world, has a shot at winning Guatemala’s second-ever Olympic medal.
“I play really hard with my heart. I don’t think, I just play,” said an exhilarated, red-eyed Cordon, who fell to the floor and curled up sobbing at the end of the match.
“It’s not easy for us as a country — there are more important things in Guatemala to support than sport,” said Cordon, who is named after England soccer great Kevin Keegan. “That’s our reality.”
Cordon faces Denmark’s world No. 2 Viktor Axelsen, who beat China’s Shi Yuqi (石宇奇) 21-13, 21-13.
Denmark’s Anders Antonsen was knocked out in the quarter-finals 21-18, 15-21, 21-18 by Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia.
Ginting next meets China’s Chen Long (諶龍), who beat Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen (周天成) 21-14, 9-21, 21-14 with a tight net game and sharp smashes.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old