WEIGHTLIFTING
Taiwan’s Ho wins gold
Taiwan’s Ho Hsiao-chun won a gold medal in the under-56kg women’s weightlifting event at the Universiade in Shenzhen, China, yesterday. It was the first gold medal for the nation in the world university sports contest that runs until Tuesday. Ho, a National Taiwan Normal University student, lifted 94kg in the snatch and 117kg in the clean and jerk to finish with a total of 211kg, beating contestants from North Korea and Turkey into silver and bronze respectively. The 24-year-old weightlifting veteran, who became a gold medalist at the National Middle School Games at the age of 17, is also highly likely to qualify for next year’s London Olympics, Ho’s coach, Chi Chun-an, said. President Ma Ying-jeou sent a congratulatory message to Ho immediately after she won the gold medal.
TABLE TENNIS
Taiwan clinch bronze
Taiwan clinched two bronze medals at the Summer World University Games in Shenzhen, China, on Monday after reaching the semi-finals of the women’s and men’s table tennis team events. Neither team were able to earn spots in their events’ gold medal games after losing their semi-final encounters. The women’s team earned bronze by defeating Russia 3-0 in the quarter-finals, but then narrowly missed out at a chance of gold by losing to Japan 3-2 in a semi-final encounter that came down to the final singles match between Japan’s Yuka Ishigaki and Taiwan’s Chen Szu-yu. Ishigaki lost the first two sets, before rallying to even the match and then rattled off the final four points of the final set to clinch a 5-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-7 victory. Taiwan’s men earned bronze after topping Hungary 3-0 in the men’s team quarter-finals, before losing to China 3-0 in the semis.
FOOTBALL
Bishop misses Obama meet
Talk about a false start — Green Bay Packers linebacker Desmond Bishop did not get to join his teammates at the White House because he forgot his ID on the team plane. Speaking to reporters in Green Bay on Monday, Bishop said he was sure he had his wallet when he got on a team bus bound for the White House as the Super Bowl champions prepared to finally make their lockout-delayed visit on Friday. When security began checking IDs, Bishop suddenly realized he did not have his. Security was not willing to make an exception to let him in without identification, so he had to stay on the team bus. Bishop said he called his family, updated his Twitter account and took a nap while his teammates met US President Barack Obama. “It was pretty disappointing,” Bishop said. “I think it was a historic time, something you can tell your kids or your grandkids one day. To have missed that opportunity, it definitely stung a little bit, but, spilled milk.” Surprisingly, Bishop said he hasn’t taken a lot of ribbing from his teammates — or his Twitter followers. “You know what? I thought I would take more, but even on Twitter and from the guys, it was such a big moment, to have missed it, I think they felt bad for me,” Bishop said.
SOCCER
Mbia out for six weeks
Olympique de Marseille announced on Monday that Cameroon international defender Stephane Mbia will be out for at least six weeks after suffering a foot fracture during Sunday’s 2-2 draw at AJ Auxerre. The 25-year-old suffered the injury in the last minute of the game and tests on Monday confirmed that he has fractured the fifth metatarsal of his left foot.
SS Lazio on Monday fired the far-right sympathizer who handles their eagle mascot after he posted online a series of videos and pictures of his erect penis. Falconer Juan Bernabe, who has been present at Lazio home matches with Olimpia the eagle since the 2010-2011 season, posted the footage on social media after having surgery on Saturday to implant a penile prosthesis to improve his sexual performance. Lazio said that they had “terminated, with immediate effect” their relationship with Bernabe “due to the seriousness of his conduct,” adding that they were “shocked” by the images. The Serie A club added that Bernabe’s dismissal
‘TOUGH TO BREATHE’: Tunisian three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur suffered an asthma attack in her 7-5, 6-3 victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday cruised into the second round of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Iga Swiatek romped into a third-round women’s singles showdown with Emma Raducanu and Taylor Fritz was just as emphatic in his pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title. Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, the third seeds, defeated Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls of Britain 7-5, 6-2 in 90 minutes in Melbourne. Ostapenko and Hsieh — who won the women’s doubles and mixed doubles at the Australian Open last year — hit 25 winners and converted five of nine break points to set
Dubbed a “motorway for cyclists” where avid amateurs can chase Tadej Pogacar up mountains teeming with the highest concentration of professional cyclists per square kilometer in the world, Spain’s Costa Blanca has forged a new reputation for itself in the past few years. Long known as the ideal summer destination for those in search of sun, sea and sand, the stretch of coast between Valencia and Alicante now has a winter vocation too. During the season break in December and January, the region experiences an invasion of cyclists. Star names such as three-time Tour de France winner Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel and Julian Alaphilippe
AGING WELL: Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, 22, was sent packing after being dispatched by world No. 97, Laura Siegemund, the second-oldest player in the draw at 36 Novak Djokovic yesterday created a slice of Grand Slam history on his way into the Australian Open third round, but last year’s women’s finalist Zheng Qinwen was knocked out in the biggest shock so far. Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, in-form Coco Gauff, two-time Melbourne winner Naomi Osaka and a rampant Carlos Alcaraz were all victors on a rainy day four. Play was suspended on the outside courts for a couple of hours in the early evening because of the wet weather. That led to the rescheduling of a women’s doubles match between wild-cards Tsao Chia-yi of Taiwan and Thailand’s Peangtarn Plipuech and 11th
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