Saturday, October 4, 2008
NATIONAL SPORT AWARDS
According to Malaysia's The Star Online - Apr 10 4:46 PM:By LIM TEIK HUATKUALA LUMPUR: The selection panel for the National Sports Awards have deemed bodybuilder Sazali Samad as the better choice over the badminton pair of Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong for the 2006 Sportsman of the Year award.World champion and world number one squash player Nicol David claimed the Sportswoman of the Year award for the fourth time.Among the 11 nominees for the men?s award, Kien Keat-Boon Heong were arguably good bets to win it.They beat higher-ranked world-class opponents, including world No 1 Fu Haifeng-Cai Yun of China, to win the Asian Games gold medal in Doha last December. It was the first gold medal for Malaysia in 36 years in Asiad badminton.However, Sazali rode on his achievement in winning the world title for the third time to take the award.He won the bantamweight (65kg) competition in the World Amateur Bodybuilding Championships in the Czech Republic last October. But in the Asian Games two months later, Sazali only took silver amidst claims of unfair judging.Sazali also bagged the award in 2000, the year in which he won the world title for the first time.He was a nominee for the 2004 award after claiming his second world title but track cyclist Josiah Ng, who reached the Athens Olympic final in keirin, was named the winner.?I had some hope that I could win it because I was the only one among the nominees to win a world title,? said the 40-year-old policeman from Batu Pahat. ?It?s still a pleasant surprise for me to win it. I felt that the badminton doubles pairs were strong candidates.?Winning the award for the second time also made up for the disappointment of not winning the Asian Games gold. I have to thank the National Sports Council (NSC), my employers and my family for all the support that they had given to me.?In the women?s category, among those Nicol came up against was bowler Esther Cheah, who won three gold and two silver medals in the Doha Asiad.Nicol has the distinction of having retained the world and prestigious British Open titles. She also took gold in the Asian Championships and Asiad and emerged victorious in eight international events.The 23-year-old also played a pivotal role in helping Malaysia to finish third in the World Team Championships in Canada last year, the best achievement by the women?s squash team.Sazali and Nicol each received RM10,000 and a trophy.Nicol was not present to receive the award because she is competing in the Kuwait Open. Her father, Desmond, took it on her behalf from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin at the presentation ceremony at the Juara Stadium in Bukit Kiara here last night
TENNIS COURT & SK KAMPONG BAHAGIA
Tennis Game at My School
Explore this section for various tennis articles which deal with the technical, tactical and mental part of the tennis game. Sometimes you'll need only one article to change your perspective or to show you another way of looking at the game of tennis.
You'll find articles that deal with the mental part of the game. They may show you a different way of thinking and can actually reframe your thinking, if you are familiar with this term from NLP and other fields.
A tennis article dealing with the tactical part of the game is actually the most common type of tennis information on the web. Many players have learned good tennis tips and ideas through their experience and are happy to publish them on various sites.
And then there are instructional articles which in my opinion are the next large group of articles related to tennis. It is also the part of the game that is in the most demand. Most people are looking for a good instruction article on tennis technique.
Most of the articles here will be about tennis strategy and mental approach since that is the main theme of this site. You'll learn how to control your mind, tennis secrets and how to actually apply various tennis instruction that you have learned in a slightly different way.
Explore this section for various tennis articles which deal with the technical, tactical and mental part of the tennis game. Sometimes you'll need only one article to change your perspective or to show you another way of looking at the game of tennis.
You'll find articles that deal with the mental part of the game. They may show you a different way of thinking and can actually reframe your thinking, if you are familiar with this term from NLP and other fields.
A tennis article dealing with the tactical part of the game is actually the most common type of tennis information on the web. Many players have learned good tennis tips and ideas through their experience and are happy to publish them on various sites.
And then there are instructional articles which in my opinion are the next large group of articles related to tennis. It is also the part of the game that is in the most demand. Most people are looking for a good instruction article on tennis technique.
Most of the articles here will be about tennis strategy and mental approach since that is the main theme of this site. You'll learn how to control your mind, tennis secrets and how to actually apply various tennis instruction that you have learned in a slightly different way.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
BADMINTON JAPAN OPEN 2008
WORLD No 1 Lee Chong Wei cleared any doubts about his form in the ongoing Japan Open by storming into the final with a brilliant performance in Tokyo yesterday. Chong Wei, the defending champion, gave Joachim Persson a lesson in badminton as he trounced the Dane 21-6, 21-4 in a match that lasted just 20 minutes. The day turned out to be even better for Malaysia as Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui reached the final of a Super Series event for the first time after an upset 21-11, 18-21, 21-18 win over second seeds Vita Marissa-Lilyana Natsir of Indonesia in the women's doubles. However, Chong Wei's total domination was the highlight as he toyed with Persson from the start. Chong Wei cleverly varied the pace to unsettle Persson and the Dane looked lost as he trailed 9-0 and 13-1 before conceding the first game 21-6. It got worse for the Dane in the second game as Chong Wei raced to a 16-1 lead and conceded just three more points to secure one of the easiest wins of his career. Chong Wei will meet second seed Sony Dwi Kuncoro of Indonesia, who defeated Japan's Kenichi Tago 21-15, 21-16, in the final today. Chong Wei, in a telephone interview from Tokyo, said he was happy to rediscover his form after struggling in the earlier rounds but expects a tougher fight from Sony. The Malaysian, in order to avoid injuries, has withdrawn from the China Masters in Changzhou beginning on Tuesday after admitting he is not fit enough to survive another tough week. "The win looked easy as I opted for the right strategy. What is important is that I have overcome my below par performances at the right time," said Chong Wei. "The biggest difference today (yesterday) is that I cut down on unforced errors and I must perform the same way against Sony. "He is the underdog and will battle hard. Although I beat him convincingly in the Beijing Olympics, it is not the same here. "My fitness level is not good and I have withdrawn from the China Masters although I may drop to second in the world rankings. I may suffer an injury if I carry on and it is better to return and focus on training." Pei Tty-Eei Hui's efforts were also timely as their performance has dipped drastically this year. They have a good chance of nailing their first Super Series crown as they will meet unranked juniors Cheng Shu-Zhao Yunlei of China, who beat Miyuki Maeda-Satoko Suetsuna of Japan 21-15, 21-16, in the final today. Results -- (All S-Finals) Men's singles: Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Joachim Persson (Den) 21-6, 21-4; Sony Dwi Kuncoro (Ina) bt Kenichi Tago (Jpn) 21-15, 21-16. Doubles: Muhammad Ahsan-Bona Septano (Ina) bt Yonatan Suryatama Dasuki-Rian Sukmawan (Ina) 21-16, 21-19; Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen (Den) bt Keita Masuda-Tadashi Ohtsuka (Jpn) 21-17, 21-16.Women's Singles: Zhou Mi (HK) bt Lu Lan (Chn) 9-21, 21-13, 21-13; Wang Yihan (Chn) bt Tine Rasmussen (Den) 21-15, 21-18.Doubles: Cheng Shu-Zhao Yunlei (Chn) bt Miyuki Maeda-Satoko Suetsuna (Jpn) 21-15, 21-16; Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui (Mas) bt Vita Marissa-Lilyana Natsir (Ina) 21-11, 18-21, 21-18. Mixed Doubles: Nova Widianto-Lilyana Natsir (Ina) bt Yoo Yeon Seong-Kim Min Jung (Kor) 19-21, 21-17, 21-18; Muhammad Rijal-Vita Marissa (Ina) bt Songphon Anugritayawon-Kunchala Voravichitchaikul (Tha) 22-20, 21-18. Courtesy of New Straits Times addthis_pub = 'nstonline'; |
Saturday, September 13, 2008
To Win First Olympic Gold Medal
Malaysia Stand A Good Chance To Win First Olympic Gold Medal
By Farhanah AzmiPETALING JAYA, July 5 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian contingent to the Beijing Olympics next month stand a good chance to clinch the country's first Olympic gold medal, Chef-de-Mission Datuk Ho Koh Chye said.Overall, 33 athletes from 10 sports qualified for the 29th Summer Olympics to be held in the Chinese capital in August."The contingent certainly stand a good chance to win the Olympic gold medal based on the athletes current performance. For example in badminton, our players are as competitive as the other participating countries."They are capable of grabbing the first gold medal for Malaysia," Ho told Bernama.Earlier Ho attended the "Seeing Victory: Towards the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games" programme held by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Malaysia at Ikano Power Centre, here Saturday.The programme, which involved vision screening of Olympic-bound athletes and provides them with necessary vision correction and eye healthcare advice, was officiated by Olympic Council Malaysia (OCM) honorary secretary Datuk Sieh Kok Chi.Among Olympic-bound athletes who turned up to have their eyes checked were Daniel Bego (swimming) and Hasli Izwan Amir Hassan (shooting)."At the Athens Olympics, Malaysia did not win any medal but our neighbours Thailand managed to bring home three gold medals and Indonesia grabbed one," he said.Malaysia participated in the Olympics for the first time in Melbourne in 1956.In 1996, at the Atlanta Games, Malaysia won a silver and a bronze through Cheah Soon Kit-Yap Kim Hock and Rashid Sidek in badminton.Meanwhile, Sieh said the vision screening programme for the Olympic-bound athletes was timely."But I am not satisfied with the athletes' commitment towards this programme... only a few turned up. It is important to get their eye check in order for them to perform better in Beijing.The athletes involved in the vision screening programme are Cheng Chu Sian, Muhammad Marbawi Sulaiman, Wan Mohd Khalmizan Wan Abd Aziz (archery); Leong Mun Yee (diving); Hasli Izwan Amir Hassan (shooting); Daniel Bego (swimming) and Che Chew Chan and Elaine Teo (taekwondo).Meanwhile, Hasli Izwan has set his eyes on finishing among the world top 10 shooters in the 25m rapid fire pistol at the Olympics.Describing the aim as realistic, the sole national shooter to the games told reporters in Kuala Lumpur, "As this is my first olympics, I dare not say whether I can win any medal but I resolve to better my record."Hasli Izwan, who would begin the Olympics training at the Langkawi International Shooting Range (Lisram) on Monday, said Lisram was suitable for him as it was an electronic shooting range like the one at the Beijing Olympics.The shooter booked his berth to the Olympics by virtue of him being seeded 11th in the world ranking when he collected 581 points at the Asia-Kuwait championship in December last year.
By Farhanah AzmiPETALING JAYA, July 5 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian contingent to the Beijing Olympics next month stand a good chance to clinch the country's first Olympic gold medal, Chef-de-Mission Datuk Ho Koh Chye said.Overall, 33 athletes from 10 sports qualified for the 29th Summer Olympics to be held in the Chinese capital in August."The contingent certainly stand a good chance to win the Olympic gold medal based on the athletes current performance. For example in badminton, our players are as competitive as the other participating countries."They are capable of grabbing the first gold medal for Malaysia," Ho told Bernama.Earlier Ho attended the "Seeing Victory: Towards the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games" programme held by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Malaysia at Ikano Power Centre, here Saturday.The programme, which involved vision screening of Olympic-bound athletes and provides them with necessary vision correction and eye healthcare advice, was officiated by Olympic Council Malaysia (OCM) honorary secretary Datuk Sieh Kok Chi.Among Olympic-bound athletes who turned up to have their eyes checked were Daniel Bego (swimming) and Hasli Izwan Amir Hassan (shooting)."At the Athens Olympics, Malaysia did not win any medal but our neighbours Thailand managed to bring home three gold medals and Indonesia grabbed one," he said.Malaysia participated in the Olympics for the first time in Melbourne in 1956.In 1996, at the Atlanta Games, Malaysia won a silver and a bronze through Cheah Soon Kit-Yap Kim Hock and Rashid Sidek in badminton.Meanwhile, Sieh said the vision screening programme for the Olympic-bound athletes was timely."But I am not satisfied with the athletes' commitment towards this programme... only a few turned up. It is important to get their eye check in order for them to perform better in Beijing.The athletes involved in the vision screening programme are Cheng Chu Sian, Muhammad Marbawi Sulaiman, Wan Mohd Khalmizan Wan Abd Aziz (archery); Leong Mun Yee (diving); Hasli Izwan Amir Hassan (shooting); Daniel Bego (swimming) and Che Chew Chan and Elaine Teo (taekwondo).Meanwhile, Hasli Izwan has set his eyes on finishing among the world top 10 shooters in the 25m rapid fire pistol at the Olympics.Describing the aim as realistic, the sole national shooter to the games told reporters in Kuala Lumpur, "As this is my first olympics, I dare not say whether I can win any medal but I resolve to better my record."Hasli Izwan, who would begin the Olympics training at the Langkawi International Shooting Range (Lisram) on Monday, said Lisram was suitable for him as it was an electronic shooting range like the one at the Beijing Olympics.The shooter booked his berth to the Olympics by virtue of him being seeded 11th in the world ranking when he collected 581 points at the Asia-Kuwait championship in December last year.
Monday, September 1, 2008
USAIN BOLT
Bolt strikes twice, with a second WR
DQs move Americans into silver, bronze positions
By The Associated Press
Posted Wednesday, August 20, 2008 5:26 AM ET
BEIJING (AP) -- Arms churning high, face twisted in pain as he sprinted toward the finish line, Usain Bolt kept glancing at the clock.
The win in the Olympic 200 meters was a given, his second gold medal of the Beijing Games assured.
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Usain Bolt sets another world record in the 200m final. Americans Shawn Crawford and Walter Dix get silver and bronze, respectively.
This was now about a world record. About racing against history.
Showing just what he can do when he goes all out start to finish, Bolt forged the greatest race ever run Wednesday night under the hazy lights at the Bird's Nest, heaving his chest toward the finish line -- not simply to beat someone for the gold, but to become a part of track's glorious, and sometimes troubled, lore.
He finished in 19.30 seconds to break Michael Johnson's 12-year-old world record, one of the most venerable in the books.
"I just blew my mind and blew the world's mind," Bolt said.
Insane, Usain.
Officially, he won by an astounding 0.66 second over American Shawn Crawford, the defending Olympic champion. Crawford won the silver medal when Churandy Martina of Netherlands Antilles, who had finished 0.52 behind Bolt, was disqualified after a U.S. protest for running out of his lane. "It feels like a charity case," Crawford said.
Either way, it was about four body lengths, the biggest margin in an Olympic 200.
American Walter Dix was awarded the bronze medal when the third man across the line, teammate Wallace Spearmon, also was DQ'd for leaving his lane. (Official results)
Footnotes to history.
Bolt added the 19.30 -- 0.02 better than Johnson's old mark -- to the 9.69 he ran the 100 four nights before when he hot-dogged the final 20 meters to set the world record.
Everyone thought he could've done better in the 100 had he run hard the whole way, but the 200 has always been Bolt's favorite, the one he spent his life on, and this time he saved the showboating for after the race.
"I've been dreaming of this since I was yea high," Bolt said. "So it means a lot more to me actually than the 100 means."
After the unrelenting effort with a slight headwind in his face, Bolt sprawled out on the ground, arms and legs outstretched, basking in the roar of the Bird's Nest crowd and the glow of becoming, quite possibly, the greatest sprinter ever.
Bolt's name now goes above, or at least beside, every great sprinter to ever put on spikes.
He became the first man to win the 100-200 double at the Olympics since Carl Lewis in 1984.
He gets mentioned in the same breath with Johnson, as well as Jesse Owens and any of the other six men to complete the Olympic 100-200 double. Nobody other than Johnson had ever run a 200 in under 19.6 and nobody had broken 9.7 in the 100 before Beijing.
Bolt has done both, the only man ever to break the world record in both sprints in the same Olympics.
Bolt is simply a different kind of runner -- coiled power in his 6-foot-5 frame, supposedly too big for success in the 100, but certainly built to run the 200.
"It's his anatomy," said Renaldo Nehemiah, the former world record-holder in the 110-meter hurdles. "He's just blessed with an uncanny frame, an uncanny quickness, a huge competitive heart. And he is having a good time, which I think our sport sorely needs to see."
Indeed, track and field could use a breath of fresh air after years of bad news, bad characters and failed drug tests that have come close to turning the sport into second-tier Olympic viewing.
DQs move Americans into silver, bronze positions
By The Associated Press
Posted Wednesday, August 20, 2008 5:26 AM ET
BEIJING (AP) -- Arms churning high, face twisted in pain as he sprinted toward the finish line, Usain Bolt kept glancing at the clock.
The win in the Olympic 200 meters was a given, his second gold medal of the Beijing Games assured.
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Usain Bolt sets another world record in the 200m final. Americans Shawn Crawford and Walter Dix get silver and bronze, respectively.
This was now about a world record. About racing against history.
Showing just what he can do when he goes all out start to finish, Bolt forged the greatest race ever run Wednesday night under the hazy lights at the Bird's Nest, heaving his chest toward the finish line -- not simply to beat someone for the gold, but to become a part of track's glorious, and sometimes troubled, lore.
He finished in 19.30 seconds to break Michael Johnson's 12-year-old world record, one of the most venerable in the books.
"I just blew my mind and blew the world's mind," Bolt said.
Insane, Usain.
Officially, he won by an astounding 0.66 second over American Shawn Crawford, the defending Olympic champion. Crawford won the silver medal when Churandy Martina of Netherlands Antilles, who had finished 0.52 behind Bolt, was disqualified after a U.S. protest for running out of his lane. "It feels like a charity case," Crawford said.
Either way, it was about four body lengths, the biggest margin in an Olympic 200.
American Walter Dix was awarded the bronze medal when the third man across the line, teammate Wallace Spearmon, also was DQ'd for leaving his lane. (Official results)
Footnotes to history.
Bolt added the 19.30 -- 0.02 better than Johnson's old mark -- to the 9.69 he ran the 100 four nights before when he hot-dogged the final 20 meters to set the world record.
Everyone thought he could've done better in the 100 had he run hard the whole way, but the 200 has always been Bolt's favorite, the one he spent his life on, and this time he saved the showboating for after the race.
"I've been dreaming of this since I was yea high," Bolt said. "So it means a lot more to me actually than the 100 means."
After the unrelenting effort with a slight headwind in his face, Bolt sprawled out on the ground, arms and legs outstretched, basking in the roar of the Bird's Nest crowd and the glow of becoming, quite possibly, the greatest sprinter ever.
Bolt's name now goes above, or at least beside, every great sprinter to ever put on spikes.
He became the first man to win the 100-200 double at the Olympics since Carl Lewis in 1984.
He gets mentioned in the same breath with Johnson, as well as Jesse Owens and any of the other six men to complete the Olympic 100-200 double. Nobody other than Johnson had ever run a 200 in under 19.6 and nobody had broken 9.7 in the 100 before Beijing.
Bolt has done both, the only man ever to break the world record in both sprints in the same Olympics.
Bolt is simply a different kind of runner -- coiled power in his 6-foot-5 frame, supposedly too big for success in the 100, but certainly built to run the 200.
"It's his anatomy," said Renaldo Nehemiah, the former world record-holder in the 110-meter hurdles. "He's just blessed with an uncanny frame, an uncanny quickness, a huge competitive heart. And he is having a good time, which I think our sport sorely needs to see."
Indeed, track and field could use a breath of fresh air after years of bad news, bad characters and failed drug tests that have come close to turning the sport into second-tier Olympic viewing.
ATLET KENA CABUL
ARKIB : 27/08/2008
Atlet kena cabul
KUALA LUMPUR – Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN) semalam mengesahkan terdapat beberapa atlet wanita negara turut menjadi mangsa cabul seorang pegawai Kesatuan Olahraga Amatur Malaysia (KOAM) yang dituduh cuba mencabul seorang pegawai perhubungan (LO) penganjur Kejohanan Terbuka Taiwan Mei lalu.
Ketua Pengarah Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN), Datuk Zolkples Embong (gambar) mendedahkan, pihaknya juga ada menerima laporan pegawai yang disyaki itu pernah melakukan perkara yang tidak senonoh tersebut kepada atlet-atlet negara.
“Selepas menerima laporan mengenai kes pencabulan pegawai KOAM itu, siasatan awal MSN juga mendapati pegawai ini pernah melakukan kes pencabulan terhadap atlet negara sebelum ini.
“Malah, ada seorang atlet telah mengesahkan dia turut dicabul oleh pegawai itu dan akan berjumpa dengan saya.
“Sehubungan itu, saya berharap agar atlet lain yang pernah dianiayai oleh pegawai itu supaya membuat laporan segera kepada MSN.
“Jika mereka takut untuk tampil membuat laporan, dia boleh berjumpa dengan saya secara terus,” katanya ketika dihubungi Utusan Malaysia, di sini semalam.
Semalam, sebuah akhbar berbahasa Inggeris melaporkan enam atlet olahraga kebangsaan negara telah membuat aduan kepada MSN mengenai sikap tidak bermoral seorang pegawai KOAM yang didakwa cuba mencabul seorang LO di Kejohanan Terbuka Taiwan, Mei lalu.
Surat aduan yang ditandatangani oleh Roslinda Samsu, Norjannah Hafiszah Jamaluddin, Tan Song Hwa, Yap Jen Tzan, Nurul Sarah Abdul Kadir dan Siti Fatimah Mohamad itu mendakwa pegawai KOAM itu memanggil LO tersebut ke biliknya untuk membincangkan berkaitan tugasan, namun pegawai itu didakwa cuba melakukan perkara yang tidak bermoral terhadap LO tersebut.
Sebelum ini komuniti sukan negara pernah digemparkan oleh kes pencabulan dua atlet bawah umur yang dilakukan oleh bekas jurulatih olahraga negara, C. Ramanathan pada 1992.
Ekoran kes itu, 11 Julai lalu, Ramanathan, 72, mula menjalani hukuman penjara empat tahun yang dikenakan terhadapnya selepas Mahkamah Rayuan mengetepikan keputusan yang melepaskannya daripada tuduhan mencabul kehormatan dua atlet remaja wanita berusia 15 dan 16 tahun.
Ramanathan didapati bersalah oleh Mahkamah Seksyen pada 8 November 1996 dan dipenjarakan kerana didapati bersalah kerana mencabul atlet remaja di bangunan Persatuan Bola Keranjang Amatur Malaysia (MABA) Oktober 1992. Kedua-dua hukuman diperintah dijalankan serentak.
Atlet berkenaan, berumur 15 dan 16 tahun, ketika itu sedang menjalani latihan berpusat bagi Kejohanan Olahraga Remaja Asia di New Delhi.
Mengulas lanjut, Zolkples berkata, MSN hanya mengetahui pegawai terbabit pernah melakukan perbuatan terkutuk terhadap atlet setelah pihaknya menerima keterangan daripada KOAM.
“Selepas menerima penjelasan KOAM, MSN mendapati pegawai itu juga pernah mencabul beberapa atlet negara sebelum ini,” katanya.
Beliau berkata, pihaknya memandang serius perkara tersebut dan tidak akan bertoleransi dengan mana-mana pihak yang mengambil kesempatan terhadap atlet wanita.
Dalam perkembangan berkaitan, Zolkples juga meminta KOAM memberi penjelasan lanjut mengenai kejadian LO yang dilaporkan cuba dicabul oleh pegawai KOAM berkenaan.
Tambah Zolkples, dia juga berharap KOAM dapat menjalankan siasatan dengan seberapa segera dan mengambil tindakan tegas terhadap pegawai tersebut jika didapati bersalah.
Ditanya adakah seseorang pegawai yang dipilih mengikuti kontinjen atlet negara di satu-satu kejohanan dipilih oleh MSN, beliau berkata, pihaknya tidak terlibat dalam pemilihan pegawai, sebaliknya, ia dipilih sendiri oleh persatuan yang mengikuti kejohanan tersebut.
Sementara itu, Pengurus Besar KOAM, Aminuddin Mohd. Nasir berkata, pihaknya telah melakukan siasatan segera dan satu jawatankuasa hal ehwal wanita KOAM yang diketuai oleh Datuk Paduka Dr. Mumtaz Jaafar akan menyiasat perkara tersebut dengan kadar segera.
“Jawatankuasa ini akan memanggil pihak yang terlibat untuk memberi kenyataan. Selepas itu, laporan itu akan diserahkan kepada Menteri (Belia dan Sukan) dan Presiden KOAM, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim,” katanya.
Atlet kena cabul
KUALA LUMPUR – Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN) semalam mengesahkan terdapat beberapa atlet wanita negara turut menjadi mangsa cabul seorang pegawai Kesatuan Olahraga Amatur Malaysia (KOAM) yang dituduh cuba mencabul seorang pegawai perhubungan (LO) penganjur Kejohanan Terbuka Taiwan Mei lalu.
Ketua Pengarah Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN), Datuk Zolkples Embong (gambar) mendedahkan, pihaknya juga ada menerima laporan pegawai yang disyaki itu pernah melakukan perkara yang tidak senonoh tersebut kepada atlet-atlet negara.
“Selepas menerima laporan mengenai kes pencabulan pegawai KOAM itu, siasatan awal MSN juga mendapati pegawai ini pernah melakukan kes pencabulan terhadap atlet negara sebelum ini.
“Malah, ada seorang atlet telah mengesahkan dia turut dicabul oleh pegawai itu dan akan berjumpa dengan saya.
“Sehubungan itu, saya berharap agar atlet lain yang pernah dianiayai oleh pegawai itu supaya membuat laporan segera kepada MSN.
“Jika mereka takut untuk tampil membuat laporan, dia boleh berjumpa dengan saya secara terus,” katanya ketika dihubungi Utusan Malaysia, di sini semalam.
Semalam, sebuah akhbar berbahasa Inggeris melaporkan enam atlet olahraga kebangsaan negara telah membuat aduan kepada MSN mengenai sikap tidak bermoral seorang pegawai KOAM yang didakwa cuba mencabul seorang LO di Kejohanan Terbuka Taiwan, Mei lalu.
Surat aduan yang ditandatangani oleh Roslinda Samsu, Norjannah Hafiszah Jamaluddin, Tan Song Hwa, Yap Jen Tzan, Nurul Sarah Abdul Kadir dan Siti Fatimah Mohamad itu mendakwa pegawai KOAM itu memanggil LO tersebut ke biliknya untuk membincangkan berkaitan tugasan, namun pegawai itu didakwa cuba melakukan perkara yang tidak bermoral terhadap LO tersebut.
Sebelum ini komuniti sukan negara pernah digemparkan oleh kes pencabulan dua atlet bawah umur yang dilakukan oleh bekas jurulatih olahraga negara, C. Ramanathan pada 1992.
Ekoran kes itu, 11 Julai lalu, Ramanathan, 72, mula menjalani hukuman penjara empat tahun yang dikenakan terhadapnya selepas Mahkamah Rayuan mengetepikan keputusan yang melepaskannya daripada tuduhan mencabul kehormatan dua atlet remaja wanita berusia 15 dan 16 tahun.
Ramanathan didapati bersalah oleh Mahkamah Seksyen pada 8 November 1996 dan dipenjarakan kerana didapati bersalah kerana mencabul atlet remaja di bangunan Persatuan Bola Keranjang Amatur Malaysia (MABA) Oktober 1992. Kedua-dua hukuman diperintah dijalankan serentak.
Atlet berkenaan, berumur 15 dan 16 tahun, ketika itu sedang menjalani latihan berpusat bagi Kejohanan Olahraga Remaja Asia di New Delhi.
Mengulas lanjut, Zolkples berkata, MSN hanya mengetahui pegawai terbabit pernah melakukan perbuatan terkutuk terhadap atlet setelah pihaknya menerima keterangan daripada KOAM.
“Selepas menerima penjelasan KOAM, MSN mendapati pegawai itu juga pernah mencabul beberapa atlet negara sebelum ini,” katanya.
Beliau berkata, pihaknya memandang serius perkara tersebut dan tidak akan bertoleransi dengan mana-mana pihak yang mengambil kesempatan terhadap atlet wanita.
Dalam perkembangan berkaitan, Zolkples juga meminta KOAM memberi penjelasan lanjut mengenai kejadian LO yang dilaporkan cuba dicabul oleh pegawai KOAM berkenaan.
Tambah Zolkples, dia juga berharap KOAM dapat menjalankan siasatan dengan seberapa segera dan mengambil tindakan tegas terhadap pegawai tersebut jika didapati bersalah.
Ditanya adakah seseorang pegawai yang dipilih mengikuti kontinjen atlet negara di satu-satu kejohanan dipilih oleh MSN, beliau berkata, pihaknya tidak terlibat dalam pemilihan pegawai, sebaliknya, ia dipilih sendiri oleh persatuan yang mengikuti kejohanan tersebut.
Sementara itu, Pengurus Besar KOAM, Aminuddin Mohd. Nasir berkata, pihaknya telah melakukan siasatan segera dan satu jawatankuasa hal ehwal wanita KOAM yang diketuai oleh Datuk Paduka Dr. Mumtaz Jaafar akan menyiasat perkara tersebut dengan kadar segera.
“Jawatankuasa ini akan memanggil pihak yang terlibat untuk memberi kenyataan. Selepas itu, laporan itu akan diserahkan kepada Menteri (Belia dan Sukan) dan Presiden KOAM, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim,” katanya.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
GYMNASTICS
BEIJING (AP) -- No runner-up finish to her friend and rival this time. Nastia Liukin won the biggest prize of all.
Liukin edged teammate Shawn Johnson for the all-around gold in women's gymnastics Friday in an intense matchup that lived up to its billing at the Beijing Games. Liukin finished with 63.325 points, a mere six-tenths ahead of Johnson, the reigning world champion who beat Liukin at the U.S. championships and Olympic trials only a few weeks ago.
Yang Yilin of China won the bronze.
"I don't think it's really set in, but I feel like this journey has been so long," Liukin said.
Made even longer by having to wait for Johnson to follow her on the floor exercise.
Liukin paced back and forth while Johnson, the final competitor, completed her performance, clapping as her teammate floated high in the air. In the end, it was Liukin who soared. When Johnson's score was posted and Liukin realized she won, tears filled her eyes. Her father and coach Valeri grabbed her in a bearhug, squeezing her tight for several minutes.
Valeri Liukin was a double gold medalist for the Soviet Union 20 years ago, but came up achingly short in a rivalry with his own teammate in the all-around.
There would be no such disappointment for his only child.
"It's not possible to describe how proud I am," he said afterward.
Liukin wore a smile that lit up her face as she climbed atop the medals podium and waved to the crowd. She blinked back tears as the gold medal was placed around her neck, but let them flow when the U.S. anthem began to play.
"Standing on the podium and hearing `Olympic champion' next to my name was a dream come true," Liukin said. "Everything pays off at this very moment."
For China, it was the first view from anywhere but the gold-medal step. The Chinese won both the men's and women's team titles, and Yang Wei ran away with the men's all-around gold on Thursday.
But this was no surprise. Johnson and Liukin have been the world's two best gymnasts for two years now, and most expected the teammates would be each other's biggest competition. Johnson came in with all the momentum, winning every matchup with Liukin but one in the last few years.
It was Liukin's grace under pressure, though, that made the difference. It had to, with everything coming down to the very last event, and the last two performers.
"I gave my heart and soul out there today," Johnson said. "Nastia deserved the gold."
Long and lean, Liukin has the elegance and classic lines of her mother, a former world champion in rhythmic gymnastics. While other gymnasts tumble on the floor, their music little more than background noise, Liukin puts on a polished performance. Every wave of her arm and brush of her fingertips oozes emotion, making it easy to forget how tough those tricks in her program really are.
Valeri Liukin stood on the sidelines, pacing back and forth, barely able to watch his daughter, who flashed a big smile for the cameras after her final tumbling run.
Her score of 15.525 put her in first place, and left Johnson with a huge gap to close. It was possible she could do it. Johnson is the reigning world champion on floor, a bundle of perkiness and power. She managed such great height on her opening pass she could have dusted off a light fixture or two, yet she landed as easily and confidently as if she was stepping off a curb. Her smile grew brighter with each second, and even Liukin was anxiously clapping as she watched. Johnson was thrilled when she finished, almost running off the podium.
It was a great routine, no question. It just wasn't good enough for gold.
"I just knew that I had to give the routine of my life," Johnson said. "I was pretty far behind, but I couldn't control that. I gave a great meet today. That was probably my favorite moment, finishing on floor, because I knew I had given it my all and I couldn't change anything."
When the final mark flashed, Johnson smiled and immediately went to congratulate her teammate. Much has been made of their rivalry, with most people assuming there's no way they can be friends. But they truly are, even rooming together at these games.
Liukin is the second straight American to win the all-around crown, succeeding training partner Carly Patterson as gymnastics' greatest champion.
Liukin is the closest thing gymnastics has to royalty, her genes practically guaranteed to produce gold. If her parents had their way, she would be a pianist or anything but a gymnast. But Liukin had her own ideas, and her parents eventually relented.
"It's a feeling I don't think any father can describe," Valeri Liukin said. "I'm very proud of my baby."
"Just to know that he was so close to (the all-around gold) and didn't quite achieve it," his daughter said. "And I hope, you know, I cleared away any of those bad little memories for him. I hope that this definitely tops it. I have a few more to go, but it is an amazing accomplishment just to be here with him, out on the floor 20 years after he competed. I think it just means so much more to both of us. I don't know, just all the hard work paying off. All the injuries, tears, blood, rips -- everything."
Liukin edged teammate Shawn Johnson for the all-around gold in women's gymnastics Friday in an intense matchup that lived up to its billing at the Beijing Games. Liukin finished with 63.325 points, a mere six-tenths ahead of Johnson, the reigning world champion who beat Liukin at the U.S. championships and Olympic trials only a few weeks ago.
Yang Yilin of China won the bronze.
"I don't think it's really set in, but I feel like this journey has been so long," Liukin said.
Made even longer by having to wait for Johnson to follow her on the floor exercise.
Liukin paced back and forth while Johnson, the final competitor, completed her performance, clapping as her teammate floated high in the air. In the end, it was Liukin who soared. When Johnson's score was posted and Liukin realized she won, tears filled her eyes. Her father and coach Valeri grabbed her in a bearhug, squeezing her tight for several minutes.
Valeri Liukin was a double gold medalist for the Soviet Union 20 years ago, but came up achingly short in a rivalry with his own teammate in the all-around.
There would be no such disappointment for his only child.
"It's not possible to describe how proud I am," he said afterward.
Liukin wore a smile that lit up her face as she climbed atop the medals podium and waved to the crowd. She blinked back tears as the gold medal was placed around her neck, but let them flow when the U.S. anthem began to play.
"Standing on the podium and hearing `Olympic champion' next to my name was a dream come true," Liukin said. "Everything pays off at this very moment."
For China, it was the first view from anywhere but the gold-medal step. The Chinese won both the men's and women's team titles, and Yang Wei ran away with the men's all-around gold on Thursday.
But this was no surprise. Johnson and Liukin have been the world's two best gymnasts for two years now, and most expected the teammates would be each other's biggest competition. Johnson came in with all the momentum, winning every matchup with Liukin but one in the last few years.
It was Liukin's grace under pressure, though, that made the difference. It had to, with everything coming down to the very last event, and the last two performers.
"I gave my heart and soul out there today," Johnson said. "Nastia deserved the gold."
Long and lean, Liukin has the elegance and classic lines of her mother, a former world champion in rhythmic gymnastics. While other gymnasts tumble on the floor, their music little more than background noise, Liukin puts on a polished performance. Every wave of her arm and brush of her fingertips oozes emotion, making it easy to forget how tough those tricks in her program really are.
Valeri Liukin stood on the sidelines, pacing back and forth, barely able to watch his daughter, who flashed a big smile for the cameras after her final tumbling run.
Her score of 15.525 put her in first place, and left Johnson with a huge gap to close. It was possible she could do it. Johnson is the reigning world champion on floor, a bundle of perkiness and power. She managed such great height on her opening pass she could have dusted off a light fixture or two, yet she landed as easily and confidently as if she was stepping off a curb. Her smile grew brighter with each second, and even Liukin was anxiously clapping as she watched. Johnson was thrilled when she finished, almost running off the podium.
It was a great routine, no question. It just wasn't good enough for gold.
"I just knew that I had to give the routine of my life," Johnson said. "I was pretty far behind, but I couldn't control that. I gave a great meet today. That was probably my favorite moment, finishing on floor, because I knew I had given it my all and I couldn't change anything."
When the final mark flashed, Johnson smiled and immediately went to congratulate her teammate. Much has been made of their rivalry, with most people assuming there's no way they can be friends. But they truly are, even rooming together at these games.
Liukin is the second straight American to win the all-around crown, succeeding training partner Carly Patterson as gymnastics' greatest champion.
Liukin is the closest thing gymnastics has to royalty, her genes practically guaranteed to produce gold. If her parents had their way, she would be a pianist or anything but a gymnast. But Liukin had her own ideas, and her parents eventually relented.
"It's a feeling I don't think any father can describe," Valeri Liukin said. "I'm very proud of my baby."
"Just to know that he was so close to (the all-around gold) and didn't quite achieve it," his daughter said. "And I hope, you know, I cleared away any of those bad little memories for him. I hope that this definitely tops it. I have a few more to go, but it is an amazing accomplishment just to be here with him, out on the floor 20 years after he competed. I think it just means so much more to both of us. I don't know, just all the hard work paying off. All the injuries, tears, blood, rips -- everything."
GO!! KEDAH FOOTBALL............
Sunday August 17, 2008
Despite first-leg mauling Terengganu ready for Kedah
GEORGETOWN: Terengganu, faced with a three-goal deficit, have a mountain to climb when they take on Kedah in their return leg Malaysia Cup semi-final match at the Sultan Mizan Stadium tonight.
Despite the odds, Terengganu coach Mohamed Nik is optimistic.
“I have a young team but they are a determined lot and despite the mauling in Kedah, their morale is high and they are ready to give Kedah a good fight to the end,” said Mohamed Nik.
“Besides their locals, they have three good foreigners in Bernard Huggings, Nelson Martin and Marlon James.”
Terengganu, on the other hand, won't be fielding any imports as Jocian Bento Dos Anjos has yet to recover from a hamstring injury.
Mohamed Nik will, however, have midfielder Abdul Manaf Mamat back from an ankle injury. He was sorely missed, together with Anjos, during the first leg which Terengganu lost badly.
“Manaf has recovered sufficiently to see action tomorrow and that should help strengthen our midfield. Another player who can also expect to play a starting role is promising young striker Wan Mohd Alif (Jasmin),” said Mohamed Nik.
Despite first-leg mauling Terengganu ready for Kedah
GEORGETOWN: Terengganu, faced with a three-goal deficit, have a mountain to climb when they take on Kedah in their return leg Malaysia Cup semi-final match at the Sultan Mizan Stadium tonight.
Despite the odds, Terengganu coach Mohamed Nik is optimistic.
“I have a young team but they are a determined lot and despite the mauling in Kedah, their morale is high and they are ready to give Kedah a good fight to the end,” said Mohamed Nik.
“Besides their locals, they have three good foreigners in Bernard Huggings, Nelson Martin and Marlon James.”
Terengganu, on the other hand, won't be fielding any imports as Jocian Bento Dos Anjos has yet to recover from a hamstring injury.
Mohamed Nik will, however, have midfielder Abdul Manaf Mamat back from an ankle injury. He was sorely missed, together with Anjos, during the first leg which Terengganu lost badly.
“Manaf has recovered sufficiently to see action tomorrow and that should help strengthen our midfield. Another player who can also expect to play a starting role is promising young striker Wan Mohd Alif (Jasmin),” said Mohamed Nik.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
BADMINTON
Lin Dan of China saluting after winning the gold medal in the men's badminton singles against Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia (Beawiharta/Reuters)
OLYMPICS BADMINTON
Lin Dan of China defeats Malaysia's Lee Chong in men's final
The Associated Press
Published: August 17, 2008
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Lin Dan of China overpowered Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei in straight sets Sunday to win the gold medal in men's singles at the Olympic badminton tournament.
Top-seed Lin was in control from the outset and coasted to a 21-12, 21-8 win over the second-seeded Lee to give China its third gold medal in badminton.
"I think tonight's match was one of the best I've played in my career," said Lin. "Before the games, I had many sleepless nights. Now I can sleep well."
Lin took an 11-1 lead in the second game with Lee's only point coming on an unforced error by Lin.
Lee was bidding for Malaysia's first gold medal in the Olympics but was no match for Lin, who won the match with a smash down the line that Lee returned into the net.
Today in Sports
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After he won, Lin embraced coach Li Yongbo. He then took off his shoes and threw them into the crowd.
Lin, nicknamed 'Super Dan,' was top-seed in Athens four years ago but lost in the first round. He didn't lose a single game in his five matches here and kept his notorious temper in check.
China also won three out of five gold medals at the 2004 Athens Games.
Zhang Ning won women's singles and Du Jing and Yu Yang won gold in women's doubles.
Lee beat Lin at the Thomas Cup in May and last year at the Japan Open, but Sunday's final between badminton's two top men's players was a mismatch.
"Lin Dan played very well and there was no chance for him to lose tonight," said Lee.
The only disappointment for Lin in the badminton tournament was that his girlfriend Xie Xingfang failed to win gold. Xie had to settle for silver after losing to Zhang in the women's final.
Lin wore a small golden pin on his uniform bearing a likeness of Chairman Mao Zedong, the founder of communist China.
Lin said he visited Mao's hometown before the games and paid his respects at his statue.
"I must pay another visit," said Lin.
In mixed doubles, South Korea's Lee Hyo Jung and Lee Yong Dae won the gold medal, defeating Indonesia's Liliyana Natsir and Nova Widianto in straight sets.
The unseeded South Koreans defeated the top-seeded Indonesians 21-11, 21-17.
The South Koreans grabbed a 9-2 lead in the second game, taking advantage of unforced errors by the Indonesians. Lee Hyo Jung's smash made it 11-4 at the break.
Natsir and Widianto rallied to pull within two points but a pair of powerful smashes by Lee Yong Dae sealed the medal for the South Koreans.
It was South Korea's third medal of the badminton tournament.
China's Yu Yang and He Hanbin won the bronze medal with 19-21, 21-17, 23-21 win over Indonesia's Flandy Limpele and Vita Marissa.
Yu and He, who were fourth-seeded, recovered from an 11-7 deficit in the third game and won the match when Marissa's smash from the front of the court went into the net.
-->
OLYMPICS BADMINTON
Lin Dan of China defeats Malaysia's Lee Chong in men's final
The Associated Press
Published: August 17, 2008
document.writeln('');
Lin Dan of China overpowered Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei in straight sets Sunday to win the gold medal in men's singles at the Olympic badminton tournament.
Top-seed Lin was in control from the outset and coasted to a 21-12, 21-8 win over the second-seeded Lee to give China its third gold medal in badminton.
"I think tonight's match was one of the best I've played in my career," said Lin. "Before the games, I had many sleepless nights. Now I can sleep well."
Lin took an 11-1 lead in the second game with Lee's only point coming on an unforced error by Lin.
Lee was bidding for Malaysia's first gold medal in the Olympics but was no match for Lin, who won the match with a smash down the line that Lee returned into the net.
Today in Sports
Frodeno of Germany wins triathlon at the wire
Shawn Johnson of the U.S. finally gets her Olympic gold medal
U.S. wrestling prodigy takes gold
After he won, Lin embraced coach Li Yongbo. He then took off his shoes and threw them into the crowd.
Lin, nicknamed 'Super Dan,' was top-seed in Athens four years ago but lost in the first round. He didn't lose a single game in his five matches here and kept his notorious temper in check.
China also won three out of five gold medals at the 2004 Athens Games.
Zhang Ning won women's singles and Du Jing and Yu Yang won gold in women's doubles.
Lee beat Lin at the Thomas Cup in May and last year at the Japan Open, but Sunday's final between badminton's two top men's players was a mismatch.
"Lin Dan played very well and there was no chance for him to lose tonight," said Lee.
The only disappointment for Lin in the badminton tournament was that his girlfriend Xie Xingfang failed to win gold. Xie had to settle for silver after losing to Zhang in the women's final.
Lin wore a small golden pin on his uniform bearing a likeness of Chairman Mao Zedong, the founder of communist China.
Lin said he visited Mao's hometown before the games and paid his respects at his statue.
"I must pay another visit," said Lin.
In mixed doubles, South Korea's Lee Hyo Jung and Lee Yong Dae won the gold medal, defeating Indonesia's Liliyana Natsir and Nova Widianto in straight sets.
The unseeded South Koreans defeated the top-seeded Indonesians 21-11, 21-17.
The South Koreans grabbed a 9-2 lead in the second game, taking advantage of unforced errors by the Indonesians. Lee Hyo Jung's smash made it 11-4 at the break.
Natsir and Widianto rallied to pull within two points but a pair of powerful smashes by Lee Yong Dae sealed the medal for the South Koreans.
It was South Korea's third medal of the badminton tournament.
China's Yu Yang and He Hanbin won the bronze medal with 19-21, 21-17, 23-21 win over Indonesia's Flandy Limpele and Vita Marissa.
Yu and He, who were fourth-seeded, recovered from an 11-7 deficit in the third game and won the match when Marissa's smash from the front of the court went into the net.
-->
ABDOMINAL MUSCLE EXERCISES
Abdominal muscle exercises, lower back pain exercises and injury prevention
Whether you aim to run a marathon, perform step aerobics, scrummage for Harlequins, or cycle the London to Brighton, you shouldn't neglect a proper conditioning routine as part of your training if you want to achieve muscular balance and avoid injury.
The best prepared sportsmen and women tend to have a comprehensive routine, often involving muscles that are not directly connected with their particular activity.
One of the most common sites of injury, regardless of the sport, is the lower back region. There is a whole host of causes for lower back pain; for example, in runners weak or inflexible hamstrings can often be the culprit. Poor posture is another common cause, so conditioning of the muscles that help to maintain solid posture should form part of the schedule of anyone who exercises regularly, whatever their discipline or sporting standard.A variety of muscle groups contribute to good posture and all require attention. Naturally the lower back muscles can do with strengthening. Work on the abdominal muscles is also important because it will complement work you do on the back region; it is dangerous to develop muscular imbalances by working on just one side of the body. The contribution of the gluteal and hamstring muscles should not be overlooked when considering sound posture and preventing injury to the back region.It makes sense, therefore, to develop a session that will work on all these areas and give the right level of conditioning for injury prevention. As a number of different exercises are used in the following training session, it is possible to construct a mini-circuit. But don't get the idea that I'm talking about normal 'circuit training', with athletes working eyeballs-out in a gym, trying to pump out as many reps of each exercise in as short a time as possible. Far from it - if you adopt that attitude to this particular session, you'll be risking injury rather than helping to prevent it. Your emphasis here should be on completing the exercises in a controlled manner so that there is no loss of form and no unnecessary tension throughout the body. For this reason I often call the session the 'No-rush Circuit'. There is no stopwatch involved and no target heart rate; the intention is to gently condition the muscles rather than to boost cardiorespiratory fitness. Six exercises are involved and you simply move from one to the next to complete one circuit. If you incorporate such a session, once or twice a week, into your exercise schedule, it will prove valuable, whatever your sport or activity.
Whether you aim to run a marathon, perform step aerobics, scrummage for Harlequins, or cycle the London to Brighton, you shouldn't neglect a proper conditioning routine as part of your training if you want to achieve muscular balance and avoid injury.
The best prepared sportsmen and women tend to have a comprehensive routine, often involving muscles that are not directly connected with their particular activity.
One of the most common sites of injury, regardless of the sport, is the lower back region. There is a whole host of causes for lower back pain; for example, in runners weak or inflexible hamstrings can often be the culprit. Poor posture is another common cause, so conditioning of the muscles that help to maintain solid posture should form part of the schedule of anyone who exercises regularly, whatever their discipline or sporting standard.A variety of muscle groups contribute to good posture and all require attention. Naturally the lower back muscles can do with strengthening. Work on the abdominal muscles is also important because it will complement work you do on the back region; it is dangerous to develop muscular imbalances by working on just one side of the body. The contribution of the gluteal and hamstring muscles should not be overlooked when considering sound posture and preventing injury to the back region.It makes sense, therefore, to develop a session that will work on all these areas and give the right level of conditioning for injury prevention. As a number of different exercises are used in the following training session, it is possible to construct a mini-circuit. But don't get the idea that I'm talking about normal 'circuit training', with athletes working eyeballs-out in a gym, trying to pump out as many reps of each exercise in as short a time as possible. Far from it - if you adopt that attitude to this particular session, you'll be risking injury rather than helping to prevent it. Your emphasis here should be on completing the exercises in a controlled manner so that there is no loss of form and no unnecessary tension throughout the body. For this reason I often call the session the 'No-rush Circuit'. There is no stopwatch involved and no target heart rate; the intention is to gently condition the muscles rather than to boost cardiorespiratory fitness. Six exercises are involved and you simply move from one to the next to complete one circuit. If you incorporate such a session, once or twice a week, into your exercise schedule, it will prove valuable, whatever your sport or activity.
MICHEAL PHELPS
By PAUL NEWBERRY, AP National Writer 2 hours, 1 minute ago
BEIJING - Michael Phelps kept every swimsuit, every cap, every pair of goggles he wore during nine magical days at the Water Cube. Every memory will be savored, too, from goofing off with his U.S. teammates to bowing his head not one, not two, but eight times to receive a gold medal at the Beijing Games.
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"There are moments I'll never forget," he said.
Neither will the whole world.
Phelps took down the grandest of Olympic records Sunday in the final event at the pool, helping the Americans rally for a world-record win in the 400-meter medley relay. That victory, one more than Mark Spitz managed at the 1972 Munich Games, assured him a place in sports history and a legacy of, well, does he even need one?
Wait, there's more. In his pursuit of Spitz, which actually began four years ago with six gold medals in Athens, Phelps became the winningest Olympian ever with 14 victories, five more than any other athlete.
Even though the Americans have never lost the medley relay at the Olympics, the latest gold was hardly a breeze. When Phelps dived into the water for the butterfly — the third of four legs — the Americans were third behind Japan and Australia.
But Phelps, swimming the same distance and stroke that he used to win his seventh gold a day earlier, powered back to the front on his return lap, passing off to Jason Lezak with the Americans in front. Australia's Eamon Sullivan tried to chase down Lezak and appeared to be gaining as they came to the wall. But Lezak touched in 3 minutes, 29.34 seconds — the seventh world record of Phelps' remarkable run.
Afterward, Phelps gathered his three mates in a group huddle, then hugged each one of them separately. He thanked them for their role in the last of his three relay wins. They congratulated him for his remarkable feat.
"It was cool," backstroker Aaron Peirsol said. "We got to be a part of it."
Another member of the relay team, breaststroker Brendan Hansen, was most impressed by the way Phelps detached himself from all the hype once he got away from the pool. He'd set a world record in the morning, then go back to the village and act like nothing had happened.
"I'd be like, 'Do you realize what you're doing?'" Hansen said. "And he'd be like, 'Man, the pizza is good today.'"
But deep down, Phelps was soaking it all in — the glory and the minutiae. He had all the medals hanging in his room. By the end of the games, Hansen quipped, they resembled a wind chime.
As much as he relished the actual races, what he really seemed to treasure most were those behind-the-scenes moments. Unlike Spitz, who was viewed as aloof and even arrogant by his fellow swimmers, Phelps got along with all his teammates, even though they all knew he was in a league of his own.
He hung out with them during his down time in the athletes' village, playing cards and the world-conquering game Risk. He made a point to engage the Olympic rookies he didn't know very well. He did what lots of other 23-year-olds did — play hip-hop music and text his buddies.
"I just wanted to make sure I took every single moment in and every single swim in, every single moment with my teammates, so I would remember them," Phelps said. "I don't want to forget anything that happened."
No one else does, either.
Everyone at the pool was mesmerized by Phelps, even if they were competing for another country.
"I couldn't care less about my swims," said Australia's Leisel Jones, who won two gold medals. "To swim in the same era as him has been awesome."
Spitz's record had stood since the Nixon administration. Australian coach Alan Thompson figures it might take even longer for someone to take down the new mark.
"We've been talking about Mark Spitz for 36 years now," Thompson said. "I don't know if I'm going to be alive when they stop talking about this bloke. You wonder if we are going to see someone as good as this again."
After Spitz's performance in 1972, there surely were folks who believed an unattainable record had just been set, that no one would ever collect so many gold medals at a single Olympics. But that merely set a new target for everyone.
Phelps was the one who finally hit the bull's-eye.
"Being able to have something like that to shoot for, it made those days when I was tired and I didn't want to be there ... it made those days easier to look at (Spitz) and say, `I want to do this,'" Phelps said. "I'm just thankful for him having done what he did."
Somewhere, there's probably a child who will head to the pool a little early to get started on his dream of winning nine gold medals.
Phelps surely hopes so. Every chance he gets, he talks of wanting to raise the sport's profile in the U.S., where it barely gets noticed in non-Olympic years outside of neighborhood swim meets. He was the star attraction in Beijing, drawing huge television ratings back home — where the morning finals could be shown live
BEIJING - Michael Phelps kept every swimsuit, every cap, every pair of goggles he wore during nine magical days at the Water Cube. Every memory will be savored, too, from goofing off with his U.S. teammates to bowing his head not one, not two, but eight times to receive a gold medal at the Beijing Games.
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"There are moments I'll never forget," he said.
Neither will the whole world.
Phelps took down the grandest of Olympic records Sunday in the final event at the pool, helping the Americans rally for a world-record win in the 400-meter medley relay. That victory, one more than Mark Spitz managed at the 1972 Munich Games, assured him a place in sports history and a legacy of, well, does he even need one?
Wait, there's more. In his pursuit of Spitz, which actually began four years ago with six gold medals in Athens, Phelps became the winningest Olympian ever with 14 victories, five more than any other athlete.
Even though the Americans have never lost the medley relay at the Olympics, the latest gold was hardly a breeze. When Phelps dived into the water for the butterfly — the third of four legs — the Americans were third behind Japan and Australia.
But Phelps, swimming the same distance and stroke that he used to win his seventh gold a day earlier, powered back to the front on his return lap, passing off to Jason Lezak with the Americans in front. Australia's Eamon Sullivan tried to chase down Lezak and appeared to be gaining as they came to the wall. But Lezak touched in 3 minutes, 29.34 seconds — the seventh world record of Phelps' remarkable run.
Afterward, Phelps gathered his three mates in a group huddle, then hugged each one of them separately. He thanked them for their role in the last of his three relay wins. They congratulated him for his remarkable feat.
"It was cool," backstroker Aaron Peirsol said. "We got to be a part of it."
Another member of the relay team, breaststroker Brendan Hansen, was most impressed by the way Phelps detached himself from all the hype once he got away from the pool. He'd set a world record in the morning, then go back to the village and act like nothing had happened.
"I'd be like, 'Do you realize what you're doing?'" Hansen said. "And he'd be like, 'Man, the pizza is good today.'"
But deep down, Phelps was soaking it all in — the glory and the minutiae. He had all the medals hanging in his room. By the end of the games, Hansen quipped, they resembled a wind chime.
As much as he relished the actual races, what he really seemed to treasure most were those behind-the-scenes moments. Unlike Spitz, who was viewed as aloof and even arrogant by his fellow swimmers, Phelps got along with all his teammates, even though they all knew he was in a league of his own.
He hung out with them during his down time in the athletes' village, playing cards and the world-conquering game Risk. He made a point to engage the Olympic rookies he didn't know very well. He did what lots of other 23-year-olds did — play hip-hop music and text his buddies.
"I just wanted to make sure I took every single moment in and every single swim in, every single moment with my teammates, so I would remember them," Phelps said. "I don't want to forget anything that happened."
No one else does, either.
Everyone at the pool was mesmerized by Phelps, even if they were competing for another country.
"I couldn't care less about my swims," said Australia's Leisel Jones, who won two gold medals. "To swim in the same era as him has been awesome."
Spitz's record had stood since the Nixon administration. Australian coach Alan Thompson figures it might take even longer for someone to take down the new mark.
"We've been talking about Mark Spitz for 36 years now," Thompson said. "I don't know if I'm going to be alive when they stop talking about this bloke. You wonder if we are going to see someone as good as this again."
After Spitz's performance in 1972, there surely were folks who believed an unattainable record had just been set, that no one would ever collect so many gold medals at a single Olympics. But that merely set a new target for everyone.
Phelps was the one who finally hit the bull's-eye.
"Being able to have something like that to shoot for, it made those days when I was tired and I didn't want to be there ... it made those days easier to look at (Spitz) and say, `I want to do this,'" Phelps said. "I'm just thankful for him having done what he did."
Somewhere, there's probably a child who will head to the pool a little early to get started on his dream of winning nine gold medals.
Phelps surely hopes so. Every chance he gets, he talks of wanting to raise the sport's profile in the U.S., where it barely gets noticed in non-Olympic years outside of neighborhood swim meets. He was the star attraction in Beijing, drawing huge television ratings back home — where the morning finals could be shown live
OLYMPIC
BEIJING, China (AP) -- Liu Xiang and the entire nation of China looked forward to this moment for years: The defending Olympic champion lining up to run the 110-meter hurdles at the Beijing Games.
China's Liu Xiang pulls up lame Monday during his qualifying heat for the men's 110-meter hurdles.
more photos »
He didn't even get to race.
Already grimacing before getting into his crouch, Liu pulled up lame just steps into the first round of qualifying Monday, leaving the Summer Games' host country without one of its biggest stars -- and far and away its biggest star in track and field.
He limped out of the block at the starting gun, took a few awkward steps, then pulled up when the second gun sounded to signal a false start. No one is disqualified by an initial false start, yet Liu tore the pieces of paper with his number off each leg and immediately headed for a tunnel.
While the other entrants in his heat prepared for the restart, Liu took a slow walk along a concrete path leading away from the rust-colored track where he was supposed to thrill a nation of 1.3 billion people.
Instead, he sat against a wall alone, that smiling face that adorns so many advertising billboards now sullen.
"We worked hard every day, but the result was as you see, and it's really hard to take," Liu's personal coach, Sun Haiping, said at a news conference the hurdler did not attend.
China's Liu Xiang pulls up lame Monday during his qualifying heat for the men's 110-meter hurdles.
more photos »
He didn't even get to race.
Already grimacing before getting into his crouch, Liu pulled up lame just steps into the first round of qualifying Monday, leaving the Summer Games' host country without one of its biggest stars -- and far and away its biggest star in track and field.
He limped out of the block at the starting gun, took a few awkward steps, then pulled up when the second gun sounded to signal a false start. No one is disqualified by an initial false start, yet Liu tore the pieces of paper with his number off each leg and immediately headed for a tunnel.
While the other entrants in his heat prepared for the restart, Liu took a slow walk along a concrete path leading away from the rust-colored track where he was supposed to thrill a nation of 1.3 billion people.
Instead, he sat against a wall alone, that smiling face that adorns so many advertising billboards now sullen.
"We worked hard every day, but the result was as you see, and it's really hard to take," Liu's personal coach, Sun Haiping, said at a news conference the hurdler did not attend.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Daniel Bego bags three golds in Hong Kong
Posted by: Andrew on Wednesday, 23 April, 2008 - 08:19 AM
PETALING JAYA: Swimmer Daniel Bego launched his preparations for the Beijing Olympics in style with a triple gold delight in the Bank of China Hong Kong Olympic time trials, which concluded on Monday.Daniel bagged three gold and two bronze medals to emerge as the most outstanding swimmer in the Malaysian team competing in the Open meet spread out over two days.The 18-year-old Olympian of the Year swimmer chalked a double by winning the 100m butterfly final in 55.36 and completing the 200m distance race in 2:04.33.Daniel also added a third in another strong event of his – the 200m freestyle – clocking 1:53.66.All three events he won in Hong Kong are events he has qualified for at the Beijing Olympics so far. His two bronze medals were won in the 100m freestyle (52.74) and 50m butterfly races (26.22).Daniel’s performances suggested he is gearing up well to make an impression in the Malaysian Open to be held in Kuala Lumpur next week.The Malaysian Open will be the final meet for swimmers to dip under the Olympic qualifying marks to earn a berth to Beijing.Considering that it was the first major race for the swimmers, national coach Paul Birmingham was satisfied with the performances put up by his charges.The Australian took over as the national coach for the full time swimmers based at the National Aquatics Centre in Bukit Jalil in January.“It was a good chance for me to see them race and how they interact as a team.” said Birmingham.“It was also good race practice for them. Daniel’s times were outside his national marks but it was okay, considering that he was doing six events and some of the qualifying heats were next to each other. The swimmers have yet to peak and only building up towards the Malaysian Open (from May 1-4). “Kevin Yeap also shared the limelight with victories in the 400m (4:07.80) and 1,500m freestyle (16:10.58).Melvin Chua took silver medals in the 200m and 400m individual medley and also 200m backstroke.Allen Ong also had silver medals in the 50m distances of butterfly and freestyle while Kevin Lim came in third in the 200m butterfly.Eric Chang took bronze in the men’s 50m backstroke. Khoo Cai Lin and Leung Chii Lin were the only Malaysian women medallists. Cai Lin won a bronze in the 800m freestyle while Chii Lin also finished third in the 50m and 100m freestyle.Source: The Star Online
PETALING JAYA: Swimmer Daniel Bego launched his preparations for the Beijing Olympics in style with a triple gold delight in the Bank of China Hong Kong Olympic time trials, which concluded on Monday.Daniel bagged three gold and two bronze medals to emerge as the most outstanding swimmer in the Malaysian team competing in the Open meet spread out over two days.The 18-year-old Olympian of the Year swimmer chalked a double by winning the 100m butterfly final in 55.36 and completing the 200m distance race in 2:04.33.Daniel also added a third in another strong event of his – the 200m freestyle – clocking 1:53.66.All three events he won in Hong Kong are events he has qualified for at the Beijing Olympics so far. His two bronze medals were won in the 100m freestyle (52.74) and 50m butterfly races (26.22).Daniel’s performances suggested he is gearing up well to make an impression in the Malaysian Open to be held in Kuala Lumpur next week.The Malaysian Open will be the final meet for swimmers to dip under the Olympic qualifying marks to earn a berth to Beijing.Considering that it was the first major race for the swimmers, national coach Paul Birmingham was satisfied with the performances put up by his charges.The Australian took over as the national coach for the full time swimmers based at the National Aquatics Centre in Bukit Jalil in January.“It was a good chance for me to see them race and how they interact as a team.” said Birmingham.“It was also good race practice for them. Daniel’s times were outside his national marks but it was okay, considering that he was doing six events and some of the qualifying heats were next to each other. The swimmers have yet to peak and only building up towards the Malaysian Open (from May 1-4). “Kevin Yeap also shared the limelight with victories in the 400m (4:07.80) and 1,500m freestyle (16:10.58).Melvin Chua took silver medals in the 200m and 400m individual medley and also 200m backstroke.Allen Ong also had silver medals in the 50m distances of butterfly and freestyle while Kevin Lim came in third in the 200m butterfly.Eric Chang took bronze in the men’s 50m backstroke. Khoo Cai Lin and Leung Chii Lin were the only Malaysian women medallists. Cai Lin won a bronze in the 800m freestyle while Chii Lin also finished third in the 50m and 100m freestyle.Source: The Star Online
Malaysian Roslinda Samsu Wins Women's Pole Vault at Asian Championships
Malaysian Roslinda Samsu claimed the title of women's pole vault of the 17th Asian Athletics Championships on Sunday at the Jordanian capital of Amman, bringing Malaysia's total number of gold medals to two at the championships.
Samsu did not meet any challenge as she finished with 4.2 meters at the event where only three athletes took part.
Bing Jie Rachel Yang from Singapore ranked second with 3.5 meters. Li Ling from China finished the event with no result since she failed three times at the first height, thus there was no bronze medal awarded for the event.
After finishing the event, Li said she was a little nervous during the competition since it was the first time for her to participate in an international tournament.
Li's coach Xu Yaoliang said Li lost a medal due to lacking in international experience.
"It's a pity for the 18-year old girl who should have got a medal," said Xu. (Xinhua)
Samsu did not meet any challenge as she finished with 4.2 meters at the event where only three athletes took part.
Bing Jie Rachel Yang from Singapore ranked second with 3.5 meters. Li Ling from China finished the event with no result since she failed three times at the first height, thus there was no bronze medal awarded for the event.
After finishing the event, Li said she was a little nervous during the competition since it was the first time for her to participate in an international tournament.
Li's coach Xu Yaoliang said Li lost a medal due to lacking in international experience.
"It's a pity for the 18-year old girl who should have got a medal," said Xu. (Xinhua)
Lee Chong Wei
Lee Chong Wei
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a Chinese name; the family name is Lee (李).
Lee Chong Wei
Personal information
Date of birth
October 21, 1982 (1982-10-21) (age 25)
Place of birth
Parit Buntar, Perak, Malaysia
Height
1.74 m (5 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Weight
60 kg (130 lb/9.4 st)
Men's singles
Country
Malaysia
Handedness
Right
Coach
Misbun Sidek
Highest Ranking
1 (August 24, 2006)
Current Ranking
2 (February 24, 2008)
BWF Profile
Lee Chong Wei (Simplified Chinese: 李宗伟) (born October 21, 1982) is a professional badminton player from Malaysia. He was born in Parit Buntar, Perak and later moved to Bukit Mertajam, Penang. He received his early education at Jit Sin Primary School (B) and continued his secondary education at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Berapit. He was admitted to Bukit Jalil Sports School then to complete his Form 4 and Form 5 studies.
Wong Mew Choo, a Malaysian badminton player, is his girlfriend
Badminton career
Lee played in 2004 Summer Olympics in men's singles, defeating Ng Wei of Hong Kong in the first round. In the round of 16, Chong was himself defeated by Chen Hong of China[1]. In 2005 he bagged his first 5-star event in the Danish Open. He also successfully defended his Malaysia Open and bagged a bronze in the BWF World Championships[2].
Lee Chong Wei held an unbeaten record in all tournaments held inside Malaysian territory for 3 years, from 2004 to 2006 and another win in 2008 totaling 4 all together in his home soil. He has won the Malaysia Open for three consecutive years, including 2006 in which, in what is considered one of the greatest comebacks in badminton history, he fought back from 13–20 down and saved eight gold medal points against the 2006 World champion Lin Dan, to finally wrap up the match 23–21. In 2005, he beat Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat and World No. 1 Lin Dan en route to the title.
He won the gold medal in the team event and the individual event in the 2006 Commonwealth Games. In the individual events Chong Wei fought off his fellow country man Wong Choong Hann for the gold medal beating him in two straight sets. After winning the gold medals he returned to Malaysia to win the Asian Badminton Championships title and soon after that he won the 2005 Malaysian Sportsman Of The Year Award.
In the 2006 World Badminton Championships, he disappointingly lost to Bao Chunlai of China in the quarterfinal in three tightly contested games despite dominating the first game. He was leading in the first set but his performance was eventually undone by committing too many unforced errors. He won the second game easily and both players went toe to toe in the third game before Lee Chong Wei succumbed to pressure after the score was tied at 18-18. Prior to losing this match to Bao, their head to head meetings record stood at 8-0 in favour of Lee Chong Wei. He entered the World Championship as the world ranked number one and as the top seeded player.[3] This loss is seen as a stepback for Lee as he was favoured by many to go all the way to capture the world title.
This dismal performance was followed by another below-par outing in the 2006 Japan Open where he lost tamely to Indonesian maestro Taufik Hidayat in straight sets. These recent defeats ended his brief reign as world number one. However, it seems that his old form has returned after his victory against Bao Chunlai in the finals of the Djarum Indonesian Open 2007, the irony being that his defeat against Bao Chunlai in the World Championships in Madrid was what started his downhill slide.
Lee continued his great form later in 2007 Sudirman Cup, defeating all opponents in straight sets, including world champion, Lin Dan whom he clearly outclassed throughout the game. Lee was also clearly controlling the final match against Chen Hong in 2007 Philippines Open.
Homeground pressure got to him in the 2007 World Badminton Championships in Kuala Lumpur, and Lee exited the tournament after losing to Sony Dwi Kuncoro in the last 16[4]. Lee was quick to make amends, and barely a month later continued his good run of form by upsetting Lin Dan on-route to win the 2007 Japan Open.
Later, he defeated Chunlai once again to lift the French Open title, having lost to the same opponent the previous week in the Denmark Open semifinal. Another confrontation with Bao Chunlai in the China Open final in Guangzhou led to another loss.
He recently defeated Lee Hyun-il at the 2008 Malaysia Open to clinch his fourth victory there in the last five years.
In the 2008 Thomas Cup, he was unstoppable, winning all of his matches in straight sets,including thrashing Lin Dan 21-12,21-14..Chong wei was aggressive and applied the right strategies in beating Lin Dan, but at the end Malaysia eventually lost the team event 2-3.
After the 2008 Thomas Cup, Lee decided to participate in the 2008 AVIVA Singapore Open. There, he clinched another title by beating his teammate Wong Choong Hann 17-21, 21-5, 21-9 in the second round, Joachim Persson 21-9, 21-7 in the quater-finals, the experienced Peter Gade 21-18, 21-13 in the semi-finals, and Indonesia's Simon Santoso 21-13, 21-5 in the Final.
He is currently coached by Misbun Sidek.
Style and attributes
Lee Chong Wei's most well known attribute is his signature forehand cross court smashes and incredible defensive ability. His cross court shots are accomplished by using a heavy angle on his racquet head, and he plays incredible inside slices. He frequently retrieves attacking shots by diving towards the shot with an outstretched racket, then quickly recovering to his feet in time to continue the rally. Not only does he dive to keep a rally going, he also sometimes plays winners when he dives. Even Lin Dan has suffered Lee's defense on countless occasions.
Lee is also known for his smooth and efficient footwork that makes him one of the fastest singles player in the circuit. His strength in the third set (attributed to incredible fitness) and his all around deceptive and accurate strokes are also well known. In terms of his weaknesses he will sometimes make too many unforced errors at inopportune times, get trapped at the back corners of the court, and sometimes has difficulty finishing off rallies once he has gained an advantage.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a Chinese name; the family name is Lee (李).
Lee Chong Wei
Personal information
Date of birth
October 21, 1982 (1982-10-21) (age 25)
Place of birth
Parit Buntar, Perak, Malaysia
Height
1.74 m (5 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Weight
60 kg (130 lb/9.4 st)
Men's singles
Country
Malaysia
Handedness
Right
Coach
Misbun Sidek
Highest Ranking
1 (August 24, 2006)
Current Ranking
2 (February 24, 2008)
BWF Profile
Lee Chong Wei (Simplified Chinese: 李宗伟) (born October 21, 1982) is a professional badminton player from Malaysia. He was born in Parit Buntar, Perak and later moved to Bukit Mertajam, Penang. He received his early education at Jit Sin Primary School (B) and continued his secondary education at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Berapit. He was admitted to Bukit Jalil Sports School then to complete his Form 4 and Form 5 studies.
Wong Mew Choo, a Malaysian badminton player, is his girlfriend
Badminton career
Lee played in 2004 Summer Olympics in men's singles, defeating Ng Wei of Hong Kong in the first round. In the round of 16, Chong was himself defeated by Chen Hong of China[1]. In 2005 he bagged his first 5-star event in the Danish Open. He also successfully defended his Malaysia Open and bagged a bronze in the BWF World Championships[2].
Lee Chong Wei held an unbeaten record in all tournaments held inside Malaysian territory for 3 years, from 2004 to 2006 and another win in 2008 totaling 4 all together in his home soil. He has won the Malaysia Open for three consecutive years, including 2006 in which, in what is considered one of the greatest comebacks in badminton history, he fought back from 13–20 down and saved eight gold medal points against the 2006 World champion Lin Dan, to finally wrap up the match 23–21. In 2005, he beat Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat and World No. 1 Lin Dan en route to the title.
He won the gold medal in the team event and the individual event in the 2006 Commonwealth Games. In the individual events Chong Wei fought off his fellow country man Wong Choong Hann for the gold medal beating him in two straight sets. After winning the gold medals he returned to Malaysia to win the Asian Badminton Championships title and soon after that he won the 2005 Malaysian Sportsman Of The Year Award.
In the 2006 World Badminton Championships, he disappointingly lost to Bao Chunlai of China in the quarterfinal in three tightly contested games despite dominating the first game. He was leading in the first set but his performance was eventually undone by committing too many unforced errors. He won the second game easily and both players went toe to toe in the third game before Lee Chong Wei succumbed to pressure after the score was tied at 18-18. Prior to losing this match to Bao, their head to head meetings record stood at 8-0 in favour of Lee Chong Wei. He entered the World Championship as the world ranked number one and as the top seeded player.[3] This loss is seen as a stepback for Lee as he was favoured by many to go all the way to capture the world title.
This dismal performance was followed by another below-par outing in the 2006 Japan Open where he lost tamely to Indonesian maestro Taufik Hidayat in straight sets. These recent defeats ended his brief reign as world number one. However, it seems that his old form has returned after his victory against Bao Chunlai in the finals of the Djarum Indonesian Open 2007, the irony being that his defeat against Bao Chunlai in the World Championships in Madrid was what started his downhill slide.
Lee continued his great form later in 2007 Sudirman Cup, defeating all opponents in straight sets, including world champion, Lin Dan whom he clearly outclassed throughout the game. Lee was also clearly controlling the final match against Chen Hong in 2007 Philippines Open.
Homeground pressure got to him in the 2007 World Badminton Championships in Kuala Lumpur, and Lee exited the tournament after losing to Sony Dwi Kuncoro in the last 16[4]. Lee was quick to make amends, and barely a month later continued his good run of form by upsetting Lin Dan on-route to win the 2007 Japan Open.
Later, he defeated Chunlai once again to lift the French Open title, having lost to the same opponent the previous week in the Denmark Open semifinal. Another confrontation with Bao Chunlai in the China Open final in Guangzhou led to another loss.
He recently defeated Lee Hyun-il at the 2008 Malaysia Open to clinch his fourth victory there in the last five years.
In the 2008 Thomas Cup, he was unstoppable, winning all of his matches in straight sets,including thrashing Lin Dan 21-12,21-14..Chong wei was aggressive and applied the right strategies in beating Lin Dan, but at the end Malaysia eventually lost the team event 2-3.
After the 2008 Thomas Cup, Lee decided to participate in the 2008 AVIVA Singapore Open. There, he clinched another title by beating his teammate Wong Choong Hann 17-21, 21-5, 21-9 in the second round, Joachim Persson 21-9, 21-7 in the quater-finals, the experienced Peter Gade 21-18, 21-13 in the semi-finals, and Indonesia's Simon Santoso 21-13, 21-5 in the Final.
He is currently coached by Misbun Sidek.
Style and attributes
Lee Chong Wei's most well known attribute is his signature forehand cross court smashes and incredible defensive ability. His cross court shots are accomplished by using a heavy angle on his racquet head, and he plays incredible inside slices. He frequently retrieves attacking shots by diving towards the shot with an outstretched racket, then quickly recovering to his feet in time to continue the rally. Not only does he dive to keep a rally going, he also sometimes plays winners when he dives. Even Lin Dan has suffered Lee's defense on countless occasions.
Lee is also known for his smooth and efficient footwork that makes him one of the fastest singles player in the circuit. His strength in the third set (attributed to incredible fitness) and his all around deceptive and accurate strokes are also well known. In terms of his weaknesses he will sometimes make too many unforced errors at inopportune times, get trapped at the back corners of the court, and sometimes has difficulty finishing off rallies once he has gained an advantage.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Trainimg schedule
Training schedules: Three ways to quantify and evaluate your training - and make sure you are achieving what your coach has planned for you
Coaches are good at planning training schedules: indeed, most of the ones I know are very thorough – even mathematical – in the detail of their planning. Typically, a coach will plan and add up the amounts of training at different intensity levels and modes required to produce the ideal training schedule for a given athlete.
A training schedule, variation, progression and recovery will be planned within or between weekly programmes to maximise the fitness effect. For example, an endurance coach will plan how best to organise five sessions at steady pace, three interval sessions at high intensity, one complete rest day, three runs at threshold pace and one conditioning session to make the best training week. No doubt PP readers are familiar with this system of planning and training schedules organisation.
Athletes (most of them at least) use diaries to record their training. Commonly, these diary entries will contain session details for each day and may include comments. For example, Tuesday am – 30 minute run steady. Felt good. Tuesday pm – 8 x 800m, 2 mins rest. Average time 2min 40s. Legs felt crap.’
By contrast with the rigorous planning of their coaches, athletes’ recording of training is often subjective, lacking in particular any information that can be used to calculate the training load of the session. The coach will have planned exactly when the hard, moderate and easy training sessions should take place, yet the athlete does not record information that can be used to determine whether this, in fact, occurred.
Perceptions of the level of training may also differ between coach and athlete. For example, an athlete may find a ‘circuits’ session hard, but the coach may assume that it is moderate and place it in the weekly plan accordingly. The resulting weekly programme may therefore lack the recovery element needed to maximise fitness benefits.
In order to help coaches and athletes plan and then monitor the effects of training more precisely, physiologists have attempted to devise quantifiable methods for recording training load. These methods enable athletes to record training load in terms of numbers, thus making sessions objectively comparable.
Training load may be defined as the stress placed upon the body as a result of the training session. It has both a fitness and fatigue effect(1), but in order for training schedules to result in improved fitness, the former must outweigh the latter. If the training load is too heavy or too monotonous, the athlete will not experience optimal improvement.
In this article I will describe three different methods of quantifying a training load, each with its own merits and limitations. I will also demonstrate the potential usefulness of Excel spreadsheets in helping coaches and athletes summarise their training loads in graphic terms.
The basic TRIMP method
First proposed by Bannister et al in 1975, this method is a very simple way of calculating what is termed TRaining IMPulse (TRIMP). TRIMP is defined as training volume x training intensity and is specific to endurance training as it uses heart rates or heart rate zones. Initially the researchers proposed simple methods of calculating the TRIMP of a session, such as the following:
TRIMP = training time (minutes) x average heart rate (bpm). For example, 30 minutes at 145 bpm. TRIMP = 30 x 145 = 4350.
This method, involving simple maths, makes a great deal of sense in terms of calculating a ‘dose’ of aerobic training, and I would recommend it to the average adult exerciser. For adults looking to improve basic cardiovascular fitness by means of simple training sessions, such as continuous pedalling on an indoor bike, or an aerobics class, this calculation gives them a great monitoring tool to analyse their progress and adherence to training.
A week’s training schedule could be tabulated and calculated in Excel, as shown in table 1 below. Weekly TRIMP totals could be used as targets for general CV fitness goals or to encourage increased activity.
Table 1: a week’s training using the TRIMP method
Session
Time
HR
TRIMP
Monday X-trainer
25 mins
130
3,250
Wednesday bike
40 mins
120
4,800
Saturday BodyPump class
50 mins
140
7,000
Total
15,050
The disadvantage of this system is that it does not distinguish between different levels of training, which would be a problem for a more advanced exerciser or elite athlete. For example, 30 minutes at 145 bpm gives a TRIMP score of approximately 4,500, as does 25 minutes at 180 bpm, although clearly these are very different levels of training. Assuming a max heart rate (HR) of 185 bpm, this means that one session takes place at 78% of max HR and the other at 97%. The latter will be very demanding, involving high lactate levels and a greater training load than the former.
TRIMP training zone method
To overcome this limitation, subsequent researchers refined the basic TRIMP concept, using heart rate zones to weight intensity in the calculation(2). Foster et al split intensity into five zones, as follows(3):
50-60% max HR
60-70%
70-80%
80-90%
90-100%
The zone number is used to quantify training intensity; TRIMP is calculated as the cumulative total of time spent in each training zone.
To express the a similar example to that above in these terms:
30 minutes at 140 bpm. Max HR = 185 bpm. %max HR = 140/185 x 100 = 76%. Therefore, training intensity = 3. TRIMP = training volume (time) x training intensity (HR zone). 30 x 3 = 90.
25 minutes at 180 bpm. Max HR = 185 bpm. %max HR = 97%. Training intensity = 5. TRIMP = 25 x 5 = 125.
As you can see, this method finds that 25 minutes of working at a very high heart rate results in a higher training load score than 30 minutes at a steady state heart rate.
The zone TRIMP calculation method can distinguish between training levels while remaining mathematically simple and I would recommend its use to serious exercisers and elite endurance athletes, especially as it can be used for quantifying interval sessions with variable heart rates. To calculate the TRIMP for the interval session, simply add up the time spent in each zone, as in the following example:
5 x 3 minutes at 95% max HR with 3 minutes easy jog at 70% max HR recovery. TRIMP = 15 x 5 + 15 x 2 = 105.
The table and accompanying bar chart below describe a hypothetical example of a week’s training schedule for an elite runner, using Excel to calculate and plot TRIMP across the week. Tuesday and Thursday are interval sessions. For example, 8 x 2min 30s reps in zone 5, with 2min recovery in zone 2.
Table 2: a week’s training for an elite runner using TRIMP training zone
Day
Time
HR Zone
HR TRIMP
Time
HR Zone
HR TRIMP
Monday
30
2
60
45
2
90
Tuesday
40
2
80
2.5/
5/2
132
Wednesday
30
1
30
30
3
90
Thursday
30
2
60
6x 6/
5/2
192
Friday
40
1
40
–
–
–
Saturday
25
4
100
30
2
60
Sunday
90
2
180
–
–
–
The graph shows quite clearly where the peaks in training load occur during the week, and it would seem that this hypothetical schedule spreads the training load sensibly, including days of relative rest between the hard sessions.
The limitation of the TRIMP heart rate zone method is that it can only quantify aerobic training. Strength, speed, anaerobic and technical sessions, which do not involve high heart rates but are nonetheless intense, cannot be calculated accurately by these means. Thus the method is suitable only for evaluating endurance training.
Session RPE method
Foster et al developed a method of evaluating training using a variation of the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale (see table 3 below), which is designed to measure subjective perception of effort(3).
To calculate the TRIMP, the time of the session (in minutes) is multiplied by the RPE scored. For example, for 60 minutes of weight training, rated as very hard (RPE = 7), TRIMP = 60 x 7 = 420.
(Note, however, that it is not advisable to compare TRIMP scores calculated by different methods. The scores are arbitrary and comparisons are useful only within the same method.)
Table 3: the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion scale
Rating
Descriptor
Rating
Descriptor
0
Rest
6
–
1
Very, very easy
7
Very hard
2
Easy
8
–
3
Moderate
9
–
4
Somewhat hard
10
Maximal
5
Hard
Foster and his team studied the reliability of this TRIMP method, asking subjects to rate various types of aerobic training sessions performed on a bike, 30 minutes after the session had finished(3). They claim that, while this use of the RPE scale is unconventional, it is not influenced by momentary changes in intensity, which are proven to influence ratings.
The subject provides a ‘global’ rating of the session, known as ‘session RPE’, which allows for better comparisons between different types of training, especially sessions that are not dependent upon heart rate.
Foster’s study showed that session RPE was a more reliable indicator than heart rate data for evaluating the intensity of endurance training. And, more recently, other researchers have confirmed its reliability for evaluating the intensity of strength training(4).
For example, a session of strength exercises involving sets of 4 reps at 90% of rep max was rated higher than a session involving sets of 15 reps at 50% of rep max (rep max being the highest weight possible for that exercise and defined as 100% intensity for strength training).
The session RPE TRIMP method is very useful for athletes in sports that involve a variety of training modes, especially anaerobic and technical training, eg ball games and power sports. Athletes in these sports may train for long periods of time, and while their average heart rate for the session may be low, indicating a light aerobic training load, the overall training load on the body (including anaerobic and neuromuscular work) will be significant and needs to be calculated.
The hypothetical example of a boxer’s training schedule, set out in table 3 and the accompanying bar chart below, illustrates the power of the session RPE TRIMP method, which can also be calculated and plotted in Excel.
Here we can see how the session RPE method can be used to quantify the training load across different types of training. This makes it a very powerful monitoring tool for many different sports. This hypothetical example shows that, while the Tuesday evening sparring and circuits session looks the most demanding of the week, in fact the athlete perceived Monday evening’s 90- minute technical session as more demanding.
Table 3: a week’s training for a boxer using the session RPE TRIMP method
Day
Session
RPE
TRIMP
Session
RPE
TRIMP
Monday
30 min run
3
90
90 min technical boxing
4
360
Tuesday
45 min run
3
135
30 min sparring / 20 minute circuit
7/4
290
Wednesday
rest
–
–
90 min technical boxing
3
270
Thursday
45 min run
3
135
20 min sparring / 40 min technical
8/2
240
Friday
rest
–
–
Rest
–
–
Saturday
30 min run
4
120
40 min strength
6
240
Sunday
rest
–
–
50 min technical
5
250
This is a useful illustration of how ratings of training load can correct mismatches between what the coach thinks of as hard training and what the athlete actually experiences. Evaluation based on ‘actual’ rather than planned training will be important for many athletes striving to achieve their best.
The table and bar chart below and right give a second example of the use of the session RPE method, using a hypothetical tennis training schedule. This illustrates how Session RPE TRIMP can point to monotony in training routines, since the TRIMP plot in the bar chart shows very similar values for all sessions. In the light of this data, coach and athlete could easily make adjustments to either the length or intensity of training sessions to allow for more variation in the weekly training schedule.
Table 4: a week’s training for a tennis player using session RPE
Day
Session
RPE
TRIMP
Session
RPE
TRIMP
Monday
90 min hit
3
270
60 min strength
4
240
Tuesday
90 min hit
3
270
30 min intervals
7
210
Wednesday
90 min hit
3
270
60 min speed
4
240
Thursday
90 min hit
3
270
45 min plyometrics
5
225
Friday
90 min hit
3
270
60 min strength
4
240
Saturday
90 min hit
3
270
30 min intervals
7
210
Sunday
rest
–
–
rest
–
–
In summary, I have presented three methods for evaluating training load objectively. The first and most simple – basic TRIMP method – is probably best suited to those training for general health benefits and unable to account for training intensity in training load.
The second – heart rate zone TRIMP method – is a simple tool for monitoring all aerobic training and is excellent for endurance athletes.
The final method – session RPE – is perhaps the most versatile since it can be use to rate the load of any kind of training. It is perfect for games players, power and technical sport athletes.
Raphael Brandon
Coaches are good at planning training schedules: indeed, most of the ones I know are very thorough – even mathematical – in the detail of their planning. Typically, a coach will plan and add up the amounts of training at different intensity levels and modes required to produce the ideal training schedule for a given athlete.
A training schedule, variation, progression and recovery will be planned within or between weekly programmes to maximise the fitness effect. For example, an endurance coach will plan how best to organise five sessions at steady pace, three interval sessions at high intensity, one complete rest day, three runs at threshold pace and one conditioning session to make the best training week. No doubt PP readers are familiar with this system of planning and training schedules organisation.
Athletes (most of them at least) use diaries to record their training. Commonly, these diary entries will contain session details for each day and may include comments. For example, Tuesday am – 30 minute run steady. Felt good. Tuesday pm – 8 x 800m, 2 mins rest. Average time 2min 40s. Legs felt crap.’
By contrast with the rigorous planning of their coaches, athletes’ recording of training is often subjective, lacking in particular any information that can be used to calculate the training load of the session. The coach will have planned exactly when the hard, moderate and easy training sessions should take place, yet the athlete does not record information that can be used to determine whether this, in fact, occurred.
Perceptions of the level of training may also differ between coach and athlete. For example, an athlete may find a ‘circuits’ session hard, but the coach may assume that it is moderate and place it in the weekly plan accordingly. The resulting weekly programme may therefore lack the recovery element needed to maximise fitness benefits.
In order to help coaches and athletes plan and then monitor the effects of training more precisely, physiologists have attempted to devise quantifiable methods for recording training load. These methods enable athletes to record training load in terms of numbers, thus making sessions objectively comparable.
Training load may be defined as the stress placed upon the body as a result of the training session. It has both a fitness and fatigue effect(1), but in order for training schedules to result in improved fitness, the former must outweigh the latter. If the training load is too heavy or too monotonous, the athlete will not experience optimal improvement.
In this article I will describe three different methods of quantifying a training load, each with its own merits and limitations. I will also demonstrate the potential usefulness of Excel spreadsheets in helping coaches and athletes summarise their training loads in graphic terms.
The basic TRIMP method
First proposed by Bannister et al in 1975, this method is a very simple way of calculating what is termed TRaining IMPulse (TRIMP). TRIMP is defined as training volume x training intensity and is specific to endurance training as it uses heart rates or heart rate zones. Initially the researchers proposed simple methods of calculating the TRIMP of a session, such as the following:
TRIMP = training time (minutes) x average heart rate (bpm). For example, 30 minutes at 145 bpm. TRIMP = 30 x 145 = 4350.
This method, involving simple maths, makes a great deal of sense in terms of calculating a ‘dose’ of aerobic training, and I would recommend it to the average adult exerciser. For adults looking to improve basic cardiovascular fitness by means of simple training sessions, such as continuous pedalling on an indoor bike, or an aerobics class, this calculation gives them a great monitoring tool to analyse their progress and adherence to training.
A week’s training schedule could be tabulated and calculated in Excel, as shown in table 1 below. Weekly TRIMP totals could be used as targets for general CV fitness goals or to encourage increased activity.
Table 1: a week’s training using the TRIMP method
Session
Time
HR
TRIMP
Monday X-trainer
25 mins
130
3,250
Wednesday bike
40 mins
120
4,800
Saturday BodyPump class
50 mins
140
7,000
Total
15,050
The disadvantage of this system is that it does not distinguish between different levels of training, which would be a problem for a more advanced exerciser or elite athlete. For example, 30 minutes at 145 bpm gives a TRIMP score of approximately 4,500, as does 25 minutes at 180 bpm, although clearly these are very different levels of training. Assuming a max heart rate (HR) of 185 bpm, this means that one session takes place at 78% of max HR and the other at 97%. The latter will be very demanding, involving high lactate levels and a greater training load than the former.
TRIMP training zone method
To overcome this limitation, subsequent researchers refined the basic TRIMP concept, using heart rate zones to weight intensity in the calculation(2). Foster et al split intensity into five zones, as follows(3):
50-60% max HR
60-70%
70-80%
80-90%
90-100%
The zone number is used to quantify training intensity; TRIMP is calculated as the cumulative total of time spent in each training zone.
To express the a similar example to that above in these terms:
30 minutes at 140 bpm. Max HR = 185 bpm. %max HR = 140/185 x 100 = 76%. Therefore, training intensity = 3. TRIMP = training volume (time) x training intensity (HR zone). 30 x 3 = 90.
25 minutes at 180 bpm. Max HR = 185 bpm. %max HR = 97%. Training intensity = 5. TRIMP = 25 x 5 = 125.
As you can see, this method finds that 25 minutes of working at a very high heart rate results in a higher training load score than 30 minutes at a steady state heart rate.
The zone TRIMP calculation method can distinguish between training levels while remaining mathematically simple and I would recommend its use to serious exercisers and elite endurance athletes, especially as it can be used for quantifying interval sessions with variable heart rates. To calculate the TRIMP for the interval session, simply add up the time spent in each zone, as in the following example:
5 x 3 minutes at 95% max HR with 3 minutes easy jog at 70% max HR recovery. TRIMP = 15 x 5 + 15 x 2 = 105.
The table and accompanying bar chart below describe a hypothetical example of a week’s training schedule for an elite runner, using Excel to calculate and plot TRIMP across the week. Tuesday and Thursday are interval sessions. For example, 8 x 2min 30s reps in zone 5, with 2min recovery in zone 2.
Table 2: a week’s training for an elite runner using TRIMP training zone
Day
Time
HR Zone
HR TRIMP
Time
HR Zone
HR TRIMP
Monday
30
2
60
45
2
90
Tuesday
40
2
80
2.5/
5/2
132
Wednesday
30
1
30
30
3
90
Thursday
30
2
60
6x 6/
5/2
192
Friday
40
1
40
–
–
–
Saturday
25
4
100
30
2
60
Sunday
90
2
180
–
–
–
The graph shows quite clearly where the peaks in training load occur during the week, and it would seem that this hypothetical schedule spreads the training load sensibly, including days of relative rest between the hard sessions.
The limitation of the TRIMP heart rate zone method is that it can only quantify aerobic training. Strength, speed, anaerobic and technical sessions, which do not involve high heart rates but are nonetheless intense, cannot be calculated accurately by these means. Thus the method is suitable only for evaluating endurance training.
Session RPE method
Foster et al developed a method of evaluating training using a variation of the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale (see table 3 below), which is designed to measure subjective perception of effort(3).
To calculate the TRIMP, the time of the session (in minutes) is multiplied by the RPE scored. For example, for 60 minutes of weight training, rated as very hard (RPE = 7), TRIMP = 60 x 7 = 420.
(Note, however, that it is not advisable to compare TRIMP scores calculated by different methods. The scores are arbitrary and comparisons are useful only within the same method.)
Table 3: the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion scale
Rating
Descriptor
Rating
Descriptor
0
Rest
6
–
1
Very, very easy
7
Very hard
2
Easy
8
–
3
Moderate
9
–
4
Somewhat hard
10
Maximal
5
Hard
Foster and his team studied the reliability of this TRIMP method, asking subjects to rate various types of aerobic training sessions performed on a bike, 30 minutes after the session had finished(3). They claim that, while this use of the RPE scale is unconventional, it is not influenced by momentary changes in intensity, which are proven to influence ratings.
The subject provides a ‘global’ rating of the session, known as ‘session RPE’, which allows for better comparisons between different types of training, especially sessions that are not dependent upon heart rate.
Foster’s study showed that session RPE was a more reliable indicator than heart rate data for evaluating the intensity of endurance training. And, more recently, other researchers have confirmed its reliability for evaluating the intensity of strength training(4).
For example, a session of strength exercises involving sets of 4 reps at 90% of rep max was rated higher than a session involving sets of 15 reps at 50% of rep max (rep max being the highest weight possible for that exercise and defined as 100% intensity for strength training).
The session RPE TRIMP method is very useful for athletes in sports that involve a variety of training modes, especially anaerobic and technical training, eg ball games and power sports. Athletes in these sports may train for long periods of time, and while their average heart rate for the session may be low, indicating a light aerobic training load, the overall training load on the body (including anaerobic and neuromuscular work) will be significant and needs to be calculated.
The hypothetical example of a boxer’s training schedule, set out in table 3 and the accompanying bar chart below, illustrates the power of the session RPE TRIMP method, which can also be calculated and plotted in Excel.
Here we can see how the session RPE method can be used to quantify the training load across different types of training. This makes it a very powerful monitoring tool for many different sports. This hypothetical example shows that, while the Tuesday evening sparring and circuits session looks the most demanding of the week, in fact the athlete perceived Monday evening’s 90- minute technical session as more demanding.
Table 3: a week’s training for a boxer using the session RPE TRIMP method
Day
Session
RPE
TRIMP
Session
RPE
TRIMP
Monday
30 min run
3
90
90 min technical boxing
4
360
Tuesday
45 min run
3
135
30 min sparring / 20 minute circuit
7/4
290
Wednesday
rest
–
–
90 min technical boxing
3
270
Thursday
45 min run
3
135
20 min sparring / 40 min technical
8/2
240
Friday
rest
–
–
Rest
–
–
Saturday
30 min run
4
120
40 min strength
6
240
Sunday
rest
–
–
50 min technical
5
250
This is a useful illustration of how ratings of training load can correct mismatches between what the coach thinks of as hard training and what the athlete actually experiences. Evaluation based on ‘actual’ rather than planned training will be important for many athletes striving to achieve their best.
The table and bar chart below and right give a second example of the use of the session RPE method, using a hypothetical tennis training schedule. This illustrates how Session RPE TRIMP can point to monotony in training routines, since the TRIMP plot in the bar chart shows very similar values for all sessions. In the light of this data, coach and athlete could easily make adjustments to either the length or intensity of training sessions to allow for more variation in the weekly training schedule.
Table 4: a week’s training for a tennis player using session RPE
Day
Session
RPE
TRIMP
Session
RPE
TRIMP
Monday
90 min hit
3
270
60 min strength
4
240
Tuesday
90 min hit
3
270
30 min intervals
7
210
Wednesday
90 min hit
3
270
60 min speed
4
240
Thursday
90 min hit
3
270
45 min plyometrics
5
225
Friday
90 min hit
3
270
60 min strength
4
240
Saturday
90 min hit
3
270
30 min intervals
7
210
Sunday
rest
–
–
rest
–
–
In summary, I have presented three methods for evaluating training load objectively. The first and most simple – basic TRIMP method – is probably best suited to those training for general health benefits and unable to account for training intensity in training load.
The second – heart rate zone TRIMP method – is a simple tool for monitoring all aerobic training and is excellent for endurance athletes.
The final method – session RPE – is perhaps the most versatile since it can be use to rate the load of any kind of training. It is perfect for games players, power and technical sport athletes.
Raphael Brandon
Sports Injuries
abdominal muscle exercises, lower back pain exercises and injury prevention
Whether you aim to run a marathon, perform step aerobics, scrummage for Harlequins, or cycle the London to Brighton, you shouldn't neglect a proper conditioning routine as part of your training if you want to achieve muscular balance and avoid injury.
The best prepared sportsmen and women tend to have a comprehensive routine, often involving muscles that are not directly connected with their particular activity.
One of the most common sites of injury, regardless of the sport, is the lower back region. There is a whole host of causes for lower back pain; for example, in runners weak or inflexible hamstrings can often be the culprit. Poor posture is another common cause, so conditioning of the muscles that help to maintain solid posture should form part of the schedule of anyone who exercises regularly, whatever their discipline or sporting standard.A variety of muscle groups contribute to good posture and all require attention. Naturally the lower back muscles can do with strengthening. Work on the abdominal muscles is also important because it will complement work you do on the back region; it is dangerous to develop muscular imbalances by working on just one side of the body. The contribution of the gluteal and hamstring muscles should not be overlooked when considering sound posture and preventing injury to the back region.It makes sense, therefore, to develop a session that will work on all these areas and give the right level of conditioning for injury prevention. As a number of different exercises are used in the following training session, it is possible to construct a mini-circuit. But don't get the idea that I'm talking about normal 'circuit training', with athletes working eyeballs-out in a gym, trying to pump out as many reps of each exercise in as short a time as possible. Far from it - if you adopt that attitude to this particular session, you'll be risking injury rather than helping to prevent it. Your emphasis here should be on completing the exercises in a controlled manner so that there is no loss of form and no unnecessary tension throughout the body. For this reason I often call the session the 'No-rush Circuit'. There is no stopwatch involved and no target heart rate; the intention is to gently condition the muscles rather than to boost cardiorespiratory fitness. Six exercises are involved and you simply move from one to the next to complete one circuit. If you incorporate such a session, once or twice a week, into your exercise schedule, it will prove valuable, whatever your sport or activity.The six exercisesThe sit-up is the first. Here you lie on your back with your legs bent, feet flat on the floor. Rest your hands on your thighs and simply sit up until your hands touch your knees. Note that you don't sit all the way up, but simply slide up and move back down in a nicely controlled fashion. This is one for the abdominals.Back arches come next. Lie on your front with your legs crossed so that your feet remain firmly anchored to the floor. Raise your upper body off the floor, taking care to keep your head in a neutral position (neither looking to the sky nor staring at the ground). Hold this position for about a second, then lower yourself down again in a controlled fashion. It is easiest to keep your arms resting on your back, but as you get better at the exercise you can put them in the 'hands up' position or straight out in front to add to the resistance. You can even progress to holding a weight.
Speed cramps work on a different part of the abdominal muscle group and are performed a little faster. Lying on your back, keep your legs in the air, bent at the knee. Your hands can rest lightly on the side of your head (with your thumbs in your ears if necessary). Simply raise your body up to bring your elbows to your knees and go straight back down.For your gluteals and hamstrings start in the same position as for the sit-up, except have your hands Iying by your side. From here, raise your hips and one leg and hold for a second before lowering. Repeat with the other leg.Now the short sit-up. Start in the same position as the first exercise but keep your hands in the same position as the speed cramp. Raise your body so that your torso is at a 30-40 degree angle to the floor. If you come up any higher, the work is concentrated more on the hip flexors than the abdominals. Hold this position for one second before coming back down slowly.Finally, back extensions. Sit with legs bent, feet flat on the floor. Position your hands on the floor behind you to take some of the weight. Raise your body off the floor so that your torso is parallel with the floor. Hold and lower.Keep a sense of balanceThe first time you do this circuit, start with 10 reps of each exercise and complete just one circuit. As with any training programme you need progression, so you can add to this in subsequent sessions. It's best to gradually build up the number of completed circuits until can comfortably perform five. Then you can begin to increase the number of reps you do within each circuit. Do not expect to be out of breath at the end - remember that the idea is to tone the relevant muscles to condition your body well.Keeping a sense of balance is essential for all your training. If you do other types of strengthening work, think carefully about the muscles you are training and whether the session is complete. For example, in most gyms around the country there are many pieces of equipment to help strengthen your quads but few to address the hamstrings. The danger is that the quads will be far stronger than the hams and this can cause all sorts of injury problems. The answer here is to work hard on the hamstring muscles, either with leg curls or, if the machinery is not available, get a partner to hold your ankles as you kneel. Then gently rock forward as far as you can and let your hamstrings pull you back. You can perform a number of reps of this exercise to help redress the balance. Similarly, if you work out in the gym regularly and give a lot of attention to the biceps, make sure you don't neglect the triceps and cause another imbalance.Joe Dunbarabdominal muscle exercises, lower back pain exercises, injury prevention
Whether you aim to run a marathon, perform step aerobics, scrummage for Harlequins, or cycle the London to Brighton, you shouldn't neglect a proper conditioning routine as part of your training if you want to achieve muscular balance and avoid injury.
The best prepared sportsmen and women tend to have a comprehensive routine, often involving muscles that are not directly connected with their particular activity.
One of the most common sites of injury, regardless of the sport, is the lower back region. There is a whole host of causes for lower back pain; for example, in runners weak or inflexible hamstrings can often be the culprit. Poor posture is another common cause, so conditioning of the muscles that help to maintain solid posture should form part of the schedule of anyone who exercises regularly, whatever their discipline or sporting standard.A variety of muscle groups contribute to good posture and all require attention. Naturally the lower back muscles can do with strengthening. Work on the abdominal muscles is also important because it will complement work you do on the back region; it is dangerous to develop muscular imbalances by working on just one side of the body. The contribution of the gluteal and hamstring muscles should not be overlooked when considering sound posture and preventing injury to the back region.It makes sense, therefore, to develop a session that will work on all these areas and give the right level of conditioning for injury prevention. As a number of different exercises are used in the following training session, it is possible to construct a mini-circuit. But don't get the idea that I'm talking about normal 'circuit training', with athletes working eyeballs-out in a gym, trying to pump out as many reps of each exercise in as short a time as possible. Far from it - if you adopt that attitude to this particular session, you'll be risking injury rather than helping to prevent it. Your emphasis here should be on completing the exercises in a controlled manner so that there is no loss of form and no unnecessary tension throughout the body. For this reason I often call the session the 'No-rush Circuit'. There is no stopwatch involved and no target heart rate; the intention is to gently condition the muscles rather than to boost cardiorespiratory fitness. Six exercises are involved and you simply move from one to the next to complete one circuit. If you incorporate such a session, once or twice a week, into your exercise schedule, it will prove valuable, whatever your sport or activity.The six exercisesThe sit-up is the first. Here you lie on your back with your legs bent, feet flat on the floor. Rest your hands on your thighs and simply sit up until your hands touch your knees. Note that you don't sit all the way up, but simply slide up and move back down in a nicely controlled fashion. This is one for the abdominals.Back arches come next. Lie on your front with your legs crossed so that your feet remain firmly anchored to the floor. Raise your upper body off the floor, taking care to keep your head in a neutral position (neither looking to the sky nor staring at the ground). Hold this position for about a second, then lower yourself down again in a controlled fashion. It is easiest to keep your arms resting on your back, but as you get better at the exercise you can put them in the 'hands up' position or straight out in front to add to the resistance. You can even progress to holding a weight.
Speed cramps work on a different part of the abdominal muscle group and are performed a little faster. Lying on your back, keep your legs in the air, bent at the knee. Your hands can rest lightly on the side of your head (with your thumbs in your ears if necessary). Simply raise your body up to bring your elbows to your knees and go straight back down.For your gluteals and hamstrings start in the same position as for the sit-up, except have your hands Iying by your side. From here, raise your hips and one leg and hold for a second before lowering. Repeat with the other leg.Now the short sit-up. Start in the same position as the first exercise but keep your hands in the same position as the speed cramp. Raise your body so that your torso is at a 30-40 degree angle to the floor. If you come up any higher, the work is concentrated more on the hip flexors than the abdominals. Hold this position for one second before coming back down slowly.Finally, back extensions. Sit with legs bent, feet flat on the floor. Position your hands on the floor behind you to take some of the weight. Raise your body off the floor so that your torso is parallel with the floor. Hold and lower.Keep a sense of balanceThe first time you do this circuit, start with 10 reps of each exercise and complete just one circuit. As with any training programme you need progression, so you can add to this in subsequent sessions. It's best to gradually build up the number of completed circuits until can comfortably perform five. Then you can begin to increase the number of reps you do within each circuit. Do not expect to be out of breath at the end - remember that the idea is to tone the relevant muscles to condition your body well.Keeping a sense of balance is essential for all your training. If you do other types of strengthening work, think carefully about the muscles you are training and whether the session is complete. For example, in most gyms around the country there are many pieces of equipment to help strengthen your quads but few to address the hamstrings. The danger is that the quads will be far stronger than the hams and this can cause all sorts of injury problems. The answer here is to work hard on the hamstring muscles, either with leg curls or, if the machinery is not available, get a partner to hold your ankles as you kneel. Then gently rock forward as far as you can and let your hamstrings pull you back. You can perform a number of reps of this exercise to help redress the balance. Similarly, if you work out in the gym regularly and give a lot of attention to the biceps, make sure you don't neglect the triceps and cause another imbalance.Joe Dunbarabdominal muscle exercises, lower back pain exercises, injury prevention
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