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."
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
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.
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