Following multiple World Cup medals, Confident Son talks Asiad gold

INCHEON, April 15 (Yonhap) -- Having grabbed multiple medals on the World Cup circuit, South Korean rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon-jae said Tuesday she has set her sights on this year's Asian Games on her native soil.

Son returned home after competing at FIG World Cup events in Portugal and Italy earlier this month. She captured four titles at a FIG World Cup stop in Lisbon during the first weekend of April, including the individual all-around gold medal. Son is the first South Korean rhythmic gymnast to win an individual all-around gold at a senior international competition.

The following weekend in Pesaro, Italy, Son won the silver in clubs and the bronze in ball. She also set her personal-high with 18.100 points in the preliminary for hoop, though she came up shy of a podium finish in the apparatus.

The 19-year-old has now won at least a medal in her past eight World Cups. She is now eyeing more success at the Asian Games starting this September in Incheon, a metropolitan city just west of Seoul.

"My goal is to win the individual all-around gold medal at the Asian Games," she said. "I also hope to do well at the team event."

   Son won the bronze in the individual all-around at the previous Asian Games, held in Guangzhou, China, in 2010. It was the first rhythmic gymnastics medal by a South Korean at any international event.

Son and her three teammates finished fourth in the team competition, 0.6 point behind the bronze medal-winning Japanese team.

Son finished fifth in the individual all-around at the 2012 London Olympics, the best South Korean performance at an Olympics in her sport.

Son is scheduled to compete at the 2014 Korea Cup International Gymnastics Competition on Saturday and Sunday at Namdong Gymnasium in Incheon, the same venue for rhythmic gymnastics at the Asian Games this fall.

"I am looking forward to competing at the same venue for the Asian Games," she said. "I began preparations for this season early, and it's helped me with my conditioning. I've been able to perform my programs with more energy."

   A whirlwind schedule will see Son take the center stage at a corporate-sponsored rhythmic gymnastics gala show in Seoul on April 26 and 27.

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HK to bid for Asian Games

Hong Kong cyclist Lee Wai-sze struck gold at last month's Asian Games in Guangzhou. Photo: Reuters.

The Government has announced that it will proceed with a controversial bid to host the Asian Games in 2023, despite public reservations about the huge cost involved.The Home Affairs Secretary, Tsang Tak-Sing, said most of the concerns raised during a public consultation on the bid coud be addressed, and added that the Government could afford the HK$6 billion bill for hosting the games. Mr Tsang said another HK$30 billion would be spent on building sports facilities to satisfy local demands.
Mr Tsang noted that public support for the bid had surged after Hong Kong's strong showing in the Guangzhou Asian Games last month. He said lawmakers should reflect public wishes, and he is confident that the government's funding request will be endorsed by the Legislative Council.
Mr Tsang said the Games carried intangible benefits, such as stronger community cohesion and the promotion of a healthier lifestyle.

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ASIAN GAMES: Japan determined to bounce back at London 2012

JAPANESE team officials believe they can push further in to the top ten of the Olympic medal table at London 2012 - despite a series of disappointing performances at the Asian Games.

ABSENT: Uchimura Kohei was a high-profile absentee from the Japan team at the Asian Games - but will be back for London 2012 (Reuters)

Noriyuki Ichihara, the chef de mission of the Japanese team in Guangzhou, believes everything is on course to eclipse their previous best haul of 15 Olympic golds, achieved in Athens six years ago.
Japan ranked eighth on the medal table in Beijing with 25 podium places, including nine golds.
Previously they dominated Asiads but injuries - double all-around world gymnastics champion Uchimura Kohei is absent - and poor performances, with four-time Olympic champion Kosuke Katajima disappointing in the pool, mean they trail China and Korea in the current medal standings.
"We always viewed these Games as a valuable learning experience in our preparations for London 2012," said Ichihara.
"We will learn the lessons and work harder towards our goals.
"We won 15 gold medals in Athens and I would like to better that achievement in London, without making a specific prediction.
"We have strong financial backing from the government which has helped us maintain our strong tradition in sports likes swimming, wrestling and judo but also develop medal talent in other sports, like athletics, table tennis and rowing."

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China's gymnasts lead the way on Asian Games first day

Haibin Teng of China performs on the rings as they win the men's gymnastics team gold.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Hosts China lead the way after the opening day of the 16th Asian Games
• Olympic and world champions claim men's gymnastics team title
• China claim four of six golds in the first day of action in the swimming pool
• Hong Kong's Lee Wai Sze sets Asian record in the women's 500m cycling

(CNN) -- China lead the medals table after the first day of the Asian Games with their all-conquering men's gymnastics team making no mistake to retain their title.

The reigning Olympic and world champions finished well clear of Japan and South Korea to claim the gold in Guangzhou.

They totaled 368.50 points to Japan's 357.500 and South Korea on 352.95.

It was China's 10th consecutive Asian Games team gold and with three world apparatus champions in Chen Yibing, Feng Zhe and Zhang Chenglong they were always in command.

The victory comes hard on the heels of success at the recent world championships in Rotterdam and head coach Chen Xiong was delighted with his team.

"We came here immediately after the world championships. We were tired but we still came here and we performed well," he told AFP.

Team work and team spirit helped them to overcome their fatigue
--Chen Xiong

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"Team work and team spirit helped them to overcome their fatigue. Japan are major opposition and they performed well in the morning, but we did better."

Chen said his team were in the build-up phase for their major target with is the Olympics in London in 2012.

The women's team final is on Sunday.

It was gold all the way for the hosts as the 45-nation Asiad got underway with Yuan Xiaochao winning the first in men's Changquan Wushu.

Chinese cyclists also dominated and Lee Wai Sze from the Hong Kong-China team showed her potential with an Asian record of 33.945 seconds in the 500m time trial.

She beat Beijing Olympic bronze medalist Guo Shuang into second place by 0.2 seconds.

In the swimming pool, China won four of the six golds on offer on the first night of final's action.

China won gold in the women's 200m freestyle, women's 100m butterfly and women's 50m breaststroke in the individual events.

They rounded off with a thrilling victory over Japan, who took the other two golds, in the women's 4x100m medley relay at the Aoti Aquatics Center.

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Strong performance expected from Elaine in Asiad

MALAYSIA will be hoping for another strong performance from new rhythmic gymnastics star Elaine Koon in next month’s Guangzhou Asian Games to continue the sport’s revival in the country.
Gymnastics – both rhythmic and artistic – has been losing its shine of late, with fewer athletes making the step up to the elite teams.
In fact, only four gymnasts will be competing in the Asiad this year – a clear indication of the lack of quality and quantity in both the men’s and women’s squads in the national team.
The others picked for the Guangzhou Asiad, from Nov 12-27, are Nur Hidayah Abdul Wahid and two artistic gymnasts – Lum Wan Foong (man) and Cheong See Teng (woman).

M'sia hopes to leap to new heights: Commonwealth games gold medallist Elaine Koon will spearhead Malaysia’s challenge in the Asian Games rhythmic gymnastics competition. – Reuters

Malaysian Gymnastics Federation (MGF) secretary N. Shanmugarajah was elated with Elaine’s exploits in the recently-concluded New Delhi Commonwealth Games.
She became the first Malaysian to win an individual gymnastics gold medal at the Games. She also ended the country’s 12-year wait for a gold medal in the Games after the extraordinary feat of the rhythmic girls, led by Thye Chee Kiat, at the 1998 Games in Kuala Lumpur.
“Elaine did the country proud and she has a bright future ahead of her,” said Shanmugarajah. “The standard of competition in Asiad is higher but we hope she will be able to put up another strong performance.
“We have named Elaine and Hidayah for the Asiad. We could not form a team because there is no one else in their class.”
He was referring to Melbourne Commonwealth Games silver medallists Durratun Nasihin Rosli, Chrystal Lim, Foong Seow Teng and Jaime Lee.
“Elaine is our new star now and she has done well to reignite interest in the sport and we hope she will keep the momentum going in Guangzhou.
“It will be tough at the Asian level as the sport is dominated by the Chinese but we hope she will fight for at least a bronze medal,” said Shanmugarajah.
Malaysian gymnastics has failed to hit the heights since the silver medal-feat of men’s artistic gymnast Ng Shu Wai at the 2006 Doha Asian Games.
But now there is hope, thanks to Elaine’s exploits in New Delhi.
Shanmugarajah said that top woman artistic gymnast See Teng was also capable of making a difference for Malaysia, although her participation is in the balance.
See Teng had to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games after injuring her foot on the eve of competition.
“She is one with great talent but, unfortunately, she was injured.
“Our women’s artistic gymnastics team did relatively well at the Commonwealth Games but the presence of See Teng would have added more depth,” he said.
“We will wait for feedback from the doctor on See Teng’s condition. If she is unable to go, we will replace her with Tracie Ang.”
Shanmugarajah also said that he would appeal to the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) to send a women’s artistic team to Guangzhou.
If successful, then aspiring youngsters Farah Ann Hadi, Chan Sau Wah and Noor Hasleen can use the Asiad as a springboard to future success.
“The Asiad would be a good exposure for these youngsters. They will gain valuable experience. It will prepare them for next year’s SEA Games (in Indonesia),” he said.
“The Asian Games will be a great platform for us to test out these youngsters. I hope our appeal will be considered.

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Top gymnasts to compete at Asian Games

Image via Wikipedia

Top gymnasts to compete at Asian Games at

HA NOI � The Vietnamese gymnastics team has vowed to bring home their first medal from the Asian Games.

"It will be a challenge for us at Asia's biggest games, but I do believe that all athletes will make something happen like they did at the World Cup event," said head of the National Sports Administration's gymnastics division Nguyen Kim Lan.

Top gymnasts Phan Thi Ha Thanh and Pham Phuoc Hung will lead their team as they attempt to bring home a gold medal at the Asian Games in China next month.

The duo performed well at the Artistic Gymnastics FIG World Cup in Porto, Portugal in June.

Thanh pocketed a silver medal in the women's individual vault event.

The Southeast Asian Games champion finished seventh out of 19 in the floor event and seventh in the balanced beam competition.

"It's the best result a Vietnamese gymnast has achieved at an international competition since the country first competed at the Moscow Olympics in 1980," said Lan.

Pham Phuoc Hung achieved a personal best when he finished fourth in the men's individual parallel bars event at the World Cup.

The Hanoian qualified for the parallel bars final round at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championship in London last October.

Hung, who has been training in China since 1998, and his male teammates will compete at the international event in the Netherlands, which runs through next week.

The team will also receive help from Do Thi Ngan Thuong, who is eligible to compete in the women's all-around event.

The Beijing Olympian said she will do her best at the Guangzhou Games to win a medal that she can add to her collection. � VNS

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Guangzhou puts emphasis on 'bluer skies, cleaner water' ahead of Asiad

By Kim Young-gyo
GUANGZHOU/HONG KONG, Oct. 14 (Yonhap) -- In the run-up to next month's Asian Games, the Chinese city of Guangzhou has been ramping up efforts to shake off its image as one of the most polluted metropolises in the world's most populated country.

   The city in southern China will host the 16th Asiad from Nov. 12-27, in which about 12,000 athletes from 45 countries across the continent will compete for 476 gold medals in 42 sports.The main stadium Gymnasium, the main stadium of the 16th Asian Games to be held in Guangzhou, China, on Nov. 12-27. The muncipal government is eager to shake off its image as one of the most polluted cities in the country. (Yonhap)
Since the launch of China's economic reform in 1979, Guangzhou went through rapid industrialization and urbanization, as it was part of the most economically dynamic Pearl River Delta region.

   The city's economy continues to grow larger even today, with its growth rate reaching 11.5 percent in 2009 and 13.6 percent during the first six months of this year.

   Remnants of the rapid economic growth over the past few decades exist across the capital city of the Guangdong province, which is covered with a thick blanket of haze almost daily. The city's rivers or canals choked with silt can easily be witnessed on the outskirts of the city. Fish and shrimp caught there are not edible.

   Aware of dubious eyes cast on the city's efforts to become more eco-friendly, Guangzhou Mayor Wan Qingliang expressed his confidence that Guangzhou is prepared to greet visitors from within and outside the country.

   "I can surely tell you that we are ready. All of us in Guangzhou are ready," Wan said at a press conference on Wednesday.

   During the two hour-briefing to the press, Wan spent 25 minutes in explaining how Guangzhou can now offer "bluer skies and cleaner water" to its visitors.

   The Guangzhou city government invested an enormous sum to fight pollution in recent years in an effort to improve the city's water and air quality. More than 48.6 billion yuan (US$7.3 billion) was spent to battle water pollution from January 2009 to July this year.

   A total of 30 sewage treatment plants have been constructed in the past months to increase the city's sewage treatment capacity by 2.25 million tons a day, the municipal government claimed.

   The water quality in 121 rivers and streams with a total length of 388 kilometers has been improved, according to the officials.

   The Guangzhou government said it also made huge investments in high-tech measures to ensure air quality and meet state-mandated standards.

   Owners of large vehicles were required to use the highest-octane gasoline to reduce emissions, starting from September.

   The city's environmental protection bureau has set up 29 checkpoints to monitor vehicle emissions, while more than 30 chemical plants that produced polluting emissions in the city proper have been relocated or shut down.

   As of Wednesday, Guangzhou was classified as level 2, or fairly good, in terms of its air quality, said the state-run China Environmental Monitoring Center.

   Overwhelming reporters with much-detailed numbers such as the percentage of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and inhalable particles in the air, Wan was eager to persuade the reporters that new measures to curb air and water pollution were working effectively.

   "I might have bored you with this entire introduction. I apologize," he said.

   Some local media and critics, however, are putting a question mark on the effectiveness of Guangzhou's efforts, arguing the municipal government is simply pouring money down the drain.

   No wonder. China had a similar experience in 2008, when it hosted the Olympics Game in its capital Beijing.

   Despite the Chinese government measures to reduce the pollution around the city by shutting down factories, restricting car usage and slowing down construction, high levels of pollutants persisted.

   According to last year's findings by scientists from Oregon State University and Beijing University published in the professional journal Environmental Science and Technology, the Beijing Olympics had double the level of soot compared to Athens, triple compared to Atlanta and 3.5 times as much as Sydney.

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Asian Games Town Gymnasium

&$Asian Games Town Gymnasium(Source: Yuan Hongwei/People's Daily Onlie)&$&$ &$
Unique design(Source: Yuan Hongwei/People's Daily Online)

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