Taiwan has sent three athletes to compete in the Winter Olympics which begin today in Sochi, Russia.
In the men’s singles of the luge, Taiwan is represented by 19-year-old Lien Te-an of New Taipei City’s Tungnan University.
Lien took up the sport at the age of 14 during his second year of junior-high school after he was encouraged by a coach who noticed his potential.
Photo: AFP
Lien received an Olympic Solidarity scholarship from the International Olympic Committee to help him prepare for the Games.
“Most of my training is done in Europe or America, so it can be very expensive. Any support, no matter how small, can be very useful,” he said.
Lien said his most memorable sporting achievement so far was finishing 20th at the 2012 Youth Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, and he is looking forward to enjoying the experience in Sochi before targeting a top-10 finish at the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeonchang, South Korea.
Photo: AFP
Lien is scheduled to compete tomorrow and on Sunday.
Sung Ching-yang is representing Taiwan in the men’s speed skating, in both the 500m and the 1,000m.
Born in New Taipei City, 21-year-old Sung began inline skating at the age of three, before switching to speedskating at 11.
His most memorable achievement was winning two gold medals at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, and his best finish in World Cup meetings this season was 11th in the 500m in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Sung is due to compete in the 500m on Monday next week and in the 1,000m on Wednesday next week.
Taiwan’s third competitor is Mackenzie Blackburn in the men’s short track, also in both the 500m and the 1,000m.
Blackburn, 21, was born in Canada to a Canadian father and a Taiwanese mother, Fay Lu, who has worked as a short track speedskating coach.
Blackburn’s best finish in World Cup meeting this year was 13th in the 500m in Kolomna, Russia.
He is due to compete in the 1,000m on Thursday next week and in the 500m on Feb. 18.
American rugby sevens star Ilona Maher is to join 15-a-side club Bristol next month in a bid to play in next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup, the English club announced on Monday. Maher, 28, helped the US to a bronze medal at this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris and is the seven-a-side sport’s most popular player on social media. “This is a huge coup to be able to bring Ilona Maher to Bristol Bears on a short-term deal,” Bristol head coach Dave Ward said. “She is one of the biggest names in women’s sport, let alone rugby, and we believe she will
US skier Mikaela Shiffrin said she sustained an abrasion on her left hip and that something “stabbed” her when she crashed during her second run of an Audi FIS Ski World Cup giant slalom race on Saturday, doing a flip and sliding into the protective fencing. Shiffrin stayed down on the edge of the course for quite some time as the ski patrol attended to her. She was taken off the hill on a sled and waved to the cheering crowd before going to a clinic for evaluation. “Not really too much cause for concern at this point, I just
CLASH OF MANAGERS: Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler and Russell Martin of Southampton accused each other of disrespect, while both were booked Southampton on Friday were denied a priceless victory by a controversial decision as they drew with hosts Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 in the Premier League. Kaoru Mitoma spectacularly headed Brighton into a first-half lead and Flynn Downes hammered home an equalizer an hour in. Minutes later teammate Cameron Archer converted a cross from Saints substitute Ryan Fraser. A video assistant referee check of more than four minutes eventually decided that Archer was onside, but then penalized Adam Armstrong, who was offside, but did not touch the ball, for interfering with goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. “I find it hard to accept,” Southampton manager Russell Martin
HISTORIC VICTORY: Botafogo are the last of the four big Rio clubs to win the Copa Libertadores and they earned a spot in next year’s FIFA Club World Cup Botafogo on Saturday overcame playing with 10 men to win their first Copa Libertadores title after beating fellow Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro 3-1 in the final at Estadio Monumental. After just 30 seconds, midfielder Gregore, one of Botafogo’s best players, hit the head of Fausto Vera with his foot and was given a straight red card. “It was so hard to have one less so early in a final. It was an unfortunate move,” Botafogo defender Alexander Barboza said. “But Gregore deserves this title as much as we do. We made history and that won’t ever be erased.” Winger Luiz
RSS