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
Carlos Alcaraz on Monday powered into the French Open second round with a resounding win to start his title defense, while world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and three-time defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek also progressed at Roland Garros. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz struck 31 winners in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri and is to face Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan in round two. Alcaraz is now on an eight-match winning streak at the French Open and also took Olympic silver at Roland Garros last year, losing the final to Novak Djokovic. “The first round is never
SSC Napoli coach Antonio Conte has dragged the team back from disaster and restored them to the top of Italian Serie A, but his future at the Scudetto winners is in doubt even after a triumphant season. The fiery 55-year-old has exceeded preseason expectations and bolstered his reputation as a serial winner by guiding Napoli to their fourth Scudetto, and second in three seasons. However, he might well be on his way in the summer after just one season at the helm as his charged relationship with Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has simmered throughout the campaign. Conte has said
‘HELLA ENERGY’: Minnesota’s 42-point victory set a club record for points in a playoff game, but the team have to keep up their momentum to stay in the series, Edwards said Anthony Edwards on Saturday night scored 30 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves overwhelmed Oklahoma City 143-101 to tighten their NBA playoff series. Edwards added nine rebounds and six assists. while shooting 12-of-17 from the floor and 5-of-8 from three-point range as the hosts Timberwolves pulled a game back to be 2-1 behind in the best-of-seven Western Conference Finals. However, moments after the 42-point win, Minnesota were determined to forget all about it. Such is life in the NBA playoffs. “You’ve got to erase this one,” Edwards said. “This one is over. I know everyone is happy about this one, but we know OKC is
The horn sounded on Wednesday night to signal a third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final, as the Florida Panthers celebrated merely by hopping over the boards and several heading over to congratulate goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. It was a subdued celebration seemingly more befitting a regular-season win for the reigning Cup champs. “I remember a few years ago, it felt like such an accomplishment from where we were at one point,” forward Matthew Tkachuk said, adding: “It’s all business and we’ve got a bigger goal in mind.” The Panthers closed out the Carolina Hurricanes in five games, with a 5-3 victory in
RSS