China’s Pan Yushuo yesterday won gold in the men’s roller speed slalom at the Taipei Summer Universiade, beating Taiwan’s Chen Yu-chi and Wu Song-yan, who took silver and bronze respectively.
Overall, Taiwan claimed four medals in the two slalom events yesterday, while Russia won a bronze.
This is the first year roller sports have been on the Univerisiade schedule, with modalities including speed slalom, sprints, relays and a 42km marathon.
Photo: Huang Yao-cheng, Taipei Times
The speed slalom sees skaters race on one leg, snaking between evenly spaced cones.
Roller sports were added as one of the host city’s chosen events and it is dominating the medals tally.
Pan won with a best time of 4.677 seconds on his final run of three.
“I am very excited because it is the first gold medal for China [in roller sports at the Univerisiade]. I am really happy,” Pan said at a news conference after the event. “I first came to Taiwan in 2013 and I think the food is good.”
Pan’s minder said he needed to have medical attention for a knee issue after the event.
Chen clocked his best time of 4.703 seconds in his final run to claim second.
“Pan did very well. I was not as strong today and I want to improve next time,” Chen said. “We want to regroup and think about it.”
“I was nervous,” Wu said of his third-place performance. “The Universiade is an exciting and important event. I am always trying.”
Yesterday’s high of 37°C affected the athletes competing at the outdoor Yingfeng Riverside Park venue, with most saying that their strength was drained by the heat.
“The hot weather has given us an advantage, but I have been drinking a lot more water to stay hydrated,” Chen said.
“I drove to the venue early to avoid the heat,” Wu said.
The men’s and women’s roller marathon is to begin today at 8am, starting on Renai Road in Taipei and finishing on Ketagalan Boulevard.
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