Wed, Sep 27, 2000 page16

• Taiwan to take last shots at gold medal in Sydney

  MARTIAL ARTS Taiwan has some of the world's finest in the `way of the hands and feet,' with all of its competitors finishing in the top three spots in the 1999 Olympic trials

  • By William Ide / STAFF REPORTER IN SYDNEY
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  Anticipation was building yesterday as Taiwan readied for the taekwondo competition in what is perceived to be its best shot at a gold medal in the Sydney Olympics, a possible first in the history of Taiwan's Olympians.

  The athletes from Taiwan were calm and confident of victory in their fights today and tomorrow, according to their coaches.

  "We're approaching this with a calm attitude. Whoever wins will win," said Sung Ching-hung (宋景宏), coach of gold hopeful Huang Chih-hsiung (黃志雄).

  "We're full of confidence."

  Huang, 24, will compete in the men's 58kg competition this morning, the first athlete from Taiwan to step out onto the mat.

  Chi Shu-ju (紀淑如), 18, another hopeful for Taiwan in the women's 49kg competition, was also confident.

  "We believe she can do it," her coach, Chin Yu-fang (秦玉芳), said.

  Aside from the potential for Taiwan to make history, the inclusion of the sport in the Olympics is also a first.

  Taekwondo has been around for nearly 2000 years, but today will mark the first time the sport has been included as an official part of the Olympic Games.

  Formally created in South Korea from several disciplines after World War II, the art, known as the "way of the hands and feet," has gradually grown in popularity around the world. It now has some 50 million practitioners in about 160 countries.

  In 1973, the first World Championships for taekwondo were held and in 1988 and 1992 it was a demonstration sport in the Olympics.

  In the 1988 Seoul Games, Taiwan won two golds in taekwondo and three at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

  Most of the competitors in the Sydney Olympics got involved in the sport before its popularity exploded.

  Hsu Chih-ling (許芷菱), a physical education teacher, first became interested in the sport in 1984. Huang took up taekwondo in 1986 to learn how to protect himself and Hsu Chi-hung (許吉宏), a plump youngster, got into the sport when he was only six years old in 1986 -- an attempt by his parent's to help him lose weight.

  Chi got into the sport in 1992 and already has six medals under her belt since entering international competition in 1996 -- three of them gold.

  To make sure Taiwan does bring home the gold, Taiwan's coaches have been doing all they can to improve the athletes' chances. Months prior to the Olympics, all four of Taiwan's competitors headed overseas for training.

  Huang and Chi went to South Korea, while Hsu Chih-ling, a lithe and lanky competitor in the 57kg female competition, went to Colorado in the US for some high-altitude training. Hsu Chi-hung, competing in the 68kg category for men, went to Japan, also for high-altitude training. After they returned, their coaches said they saw marked improvement.

  While winning is very possible, the coaches pointed out that obstacles remain for each of the four athletes in competitions today and tomorrow.

  In Huang's case, one of his toughest competitors will be Gabriel Esparza from Spain, who he will face in the final round -- should they both make it that far.

  In the 1999 Olympic trials in Croatia, Esparza was second, behind Huang. Huang will first face the third-place finisher from the Croatia trials, Kiyoteru Higuchi from Japan.

  In the competition draw on Sunday, Esparza was one of the few athletes who drew an empty spot for the first round of today's competition.

  Huang, however, will begin fighting immediately.

  None of the athletes from Taiwan drew a bye for the first round in any of their competitions. However, Taiwan's coaches said that not getting a bye in the first round was not a stroke of bad luck.

  "We're prepared to go against all kinds of athletes. It really won't make that much difference," Huang's coach Sung said.
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