Taiwanese long jumper Lin Yu-tang yesterday fell short of defending his title at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea, finishing second in the men’s competition.
Lin, who won gold at the 2023 edition in Bangkok with a leap of 8.40m, posted his best jump of 8.20m in the fourth round yesterday and looked to be on course to retain his title until China’s Shu Heng leaped 8.22m with his final jump.
“In the past, I was usually the one making the comeback,” Lin told reporters after the event. I “didn’t expect to be on the receiving end this time.”
Photo: CNA
“I really wanted to win back-to-back golds and become the first Taiwanese athlete to do that,” he said. ”Although I didn’t succeed, it shows I’m capable of reaching that level.”
Lin said that the track was new, with great bounce.
“I could feel it during the qualifiers, so today, I changed my run-up approach,” he said. “My second jump was pretty good and I continued adjusting after that.”
Photo: CNA
Lin advanced to the final with a best jump of 7.84m in his first three attempts. After a brief rest, he soared 8.20m with his fourth jump to take the lead, but his last two attempts were no jumps.
Since achieving 8.40m at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships, the 25-year-old has experienced ups and downs in the sport.
Reaching 8.20m yesterday suggests that his training has been consistent, he said.
Photo: CNA
“I have many people to thank. I’ve also learned how to bounce back when my performance drops. With this kind of experience, I’ll only keep getting better,” he added. “I’m determined to reclaim what I lost at the Asian Games.”
At the Hangzhou Asian Games, Lin placed fifth in the men’s long jump with a mark of 7.91m.
Taiwan yesterday also claimed a bronze medal in the women’s shot put, courtesy of Chiang Ching-yuan.
Photo: CNA
The 18-year-old’s best throw was 17.42m on her final attempt.
On May 3, she set a national record of 17.83m at the Shizuoka International Athletics Meet — also on her last throw.
Photo: CNA
Twelve days after winning her second Grand Slam title at the French Open, Coco Gauff fell at the first hurdle on grass in Berlin on Thursday as beaten Paris finalist Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the quarter-finals. Recipient of a first round bye, American Gauff lost 6-3, 6-3 to Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu as world number one Sabalenka beat Rebeka Masarova 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) in her second round tie. Winner of 10 main tour titles, including the US Open in 2023 and the WTA Finals last year, Gauff has yet to lift a trophy in a grass-court tournament. “After I won the first
Sergio Ramos on Tuesday outfoxed two Inter players and artfully headed home the first goal for Monterrey at the FIFA Club World Cup. The 39-year-old Ramos slipped through the penalty area for the score just as he did for so many years in the shirts of Real Madrid and Spain’s national team, with whom he combined smarts, timing and physicality. Ramos’ clever goal and his overall defensive play at the Rose Bowl were major factors in Monterrey’s impressive 1-1 draw against the UEFA Champions League finalists in the clubs’ first match of the tournament. “There is always a joy to contribute to the
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka staged a “crazy comeback,” saving four match points before beating Elena Rybakina 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (6) in the quarter-finals of the Berlin Open on Friday. Sabalenka was 6-2 down in the final-set tie-breaker, but won six straight points to reach her eighth semi-final of the season. “Elena is a great player and we’ve had a lot of tough battles,” Sabalenka said. “I have no idea how I was able to win those last points. I think I just got lucky.” “I remember a long time ago when I was just starting, I won a lot of matches being down
The Canterbury Crusaders edged the Waikato Chiefs 16-12 in an intense Super Rugby Pacific final battle in Christchurch yesterday to claim their 15th title in 30 years of the Southern Hemisphere competition. Hooker Codie Taylor scored a try and Rivez Reihana contributed 11 points from the kicking tee as the most dominant team in Super Rugby history extended their perfect home playoff record to 32 successive matches since 1998. The Chiefs, who were looking for a first title since 2013, scored first-half tries through George Dyer and Shaun Stevenson, but were unable to register a point after the break and fell to