Tag: China

South Korea’s Olympic archery dynasty was just saved by a magnifying glass

THIS IS SOOOOO CLOSE!

The South Korean women’s archery team is arguably one of the greatest dynasties in Olympic history. Simply put, they don’t lose.

After winning yet another gold medal on Sunday, the team has won 10 straight Olympic gold medals in the team archery event. They’ve won every women’s team archery event since 1988. By the time the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles come around, they’ll have maintained the gold position on the podium for 40 years. No matter what way you slice it, that’s incredibly impressive.

That streak was a magnifying glass away from being over this year.

The gold medal archery match between South Korea and China was so close that it came down to a shoot-off between the two sides. And the shoot-off was so close that it came down to the final arrow. And the final arrow was so close to the border between a 9 and 10 (which is the score South Korea needed for gold), that it had to be determined by a magnifying glass.

A. MAGNIFYING GLASS. Unreal.

Here’s more from Rodger Sherman:

Apparently, the magnifying glass use is pretty commonplace. Could’ve fooled me. This seems pretty wild. You could cut that tension with a knife. SO much was riding on that spot.

South Korea’s final arrow turned out to be a 10 instead of a 9, which it was originally scored. So the dynasty was officially preserved.

But, man. That’s CLOSE.

 

Who is Zhang Ziyu, the 7-foot-3, 17-year-old girl Chinese basketball star?

Zhang Ziyu, a Chinese teenager who stands 7-foot-3, helped lead the Chinese U18 team to a finals appearance in the Asia Cup.

Every generation has a basketball star whose proportions take the sports scene by storm and change the way the game is played. Whether Manute Bol, Margo Dydek, Yao Ming, or Victor Wembanyama, viewers watch in awe as they tower over the competition.

The newest sensation is still of high school age: In the U18 Asia Cup, Zhang Ziyu, spent the last week dominating the tournament as a 17-year-old who stands at a massive 7-foot-3.

She broke the record for points in a game in the tournament with 44 in a win over Japan, and led China to the finals, where they lost to Australia despite 42 points and 14 rebounds in just 26:38 of play. China fell apart during the time in which Ziyu wasn’t on the court, falling 96-79 despite a plus-minus of plus-5 from the center, according to the FIBA page.

Take a look at her box scores throughout the U18 Asia Cup:

Group phase:

In the 109-50 opening win over Indonesia, Ziyu recorded 19 points, seven rebounds, two steals, and three blocks and went 9-for-9 shooting from the field in just 13:30 of play.

In 22:46 of play in the second game, she recorded 36 points, 13 rebounds, and four blocks while going 16-for-20 from the field in a win over New Zealand.

Ziyu helped China go undefeated in the group stage by taking down rival Japan with a record 44 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists. She shot 20-for-22 from the field in that game.

Semifinals

In the 79-61 win over Korea, Ziyu scored 34 points, grabbed 16 rebounds, and had five assists in 21:35 of play. She went 17-for-25 from the field.

Finals

Ziyu’s 42 points, 14 rebounds and a block weren’t enough to keep China close throughout the game, falling by 18 points to Australia. Overall, Australia held her in check, limiting her to 50% shooting (18-for-36) — by far the best defensive performance against the dominant center in the tournament.

Throughout the tournament, Ziyu shot 80-for-112 from the field, a clip above 71%.

If Ziyu were to pursue the WNBA, she would be the all-time tallest player in the league. The current tallest is Han Xu, who was the first Chinese woman to play in the league in 22 years, according to the WNBA, and last played for the New York Liberty in 2023. Dydek, who played from 1998-2008, has a 7-foot-2 stature that still stands above the rest.

In the NBA today, the only players who are listed at least 7-foot-3 are Kristiaps Porzningis (7-foot-3), Boban Marjanovic and Wembanyama (both 7-foot-4).

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Meet Yongxi Cui, the player aiming to be the first Chinese draft pick since 2016

G League Elite Camp attendee Yongxi ‘Jacky’ Cui has followed an interesting development pathway leading up to the 2024 NBA Draft. He aims to become the first Chinese prospect drafted since Zhou Qi and Wang Zhelin in 2016. Cui just completed his …

G League Elite Camp attendee Yongxi ‘Jacky’ Cui has followed an interesting development pathway leading up to the 2024 NBA Draft. He aims to become the first Chinese prospect drafted since Zhou Qi and Wang Zhelin in 2016. Cui just completed his second season in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), where he posted averages of 15.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.5 spg on 46.1 FG% and 36.5 3P%.

Before joining the CBA and becoming one of China’s top prospects, he attended the NBA Global Academy in Australia. Chris Ebersole, the Head of International Basketball Development at the NBA, worked directly with Jacky Cui during his time in Australia. He shared his experience coaching and working with Cui with HoopsHype.

“He was really, truly like cracking jokes,” Ebersole said about Cui’s personality. “I just thought he was so impressive, willing to make mistakes and take risks. Everybody, from our staff to all his teammates, thinks so highly of him because of that.”

Ebersole emphasized that Cui has always prioritized making the right play but now understands his skill level and realizes that to impact winning, he needs to focus on expanding his offensive game.

“He’s got really good feet and plays super hard,” Ebersole said about Cui’s best skill being defense. “Those ingredients, for both on-ball defense and off-ball positioning, serve him well.”

China’s Great Wall Marathon returned for 2024 — meet the winners here

Get the results.

China’s Great Wall Marathon is one of the world’s most breathtaking destination marathons. This year, the race returned for the first time since COVID-19 lockdowns. Let’s take a look at what happened at the Great Wall Marathon 2024.

Races began with over 800 runners on Saturday, May 18, in the Jizhou District of Tianjin, China. As you have probably guessed, the race course traverses the Great Wall of China. This unique location challenges runners to scale 5,164 steps during a marathon, half marathon, or fun run.

“It was awesome, such an amazing experience,” Brandon Posneer, a runner from the United States, said in a video from Reuters. “Definitely the hardest physical thing I have ever done. But going up to that Wall after 35 kilometers was brutal, but it was a blast. It was a lot of fun. Now it’s a lot of fun but looking back at it —” Posneer laughed.

Runners on the Great Wall of China during the Great Wall Marathon.
The Great Wall Marathon 2019. / Photo courtesy of Albatros Adventure Marathons

Great Wall Marathon 2024 winners

Ready to meet the Great Wall Marathon 2024 winners? For the full marathon, French runner Nadege Person ranked first among the women with a time of 4:36:26. Among the men, British runner Mark Dickson won with a time of 3:43:32.

The women’s half-marathon winner was Guatemalan runner Ana Isabel Garcia Rodas with a time of 1:52:38. Spanish runner Roman Diez Gea won the men’s half-marathon with a time of 1:58:20.

According to Albatros Adventure Marathons, the organization that hosts the event, the race welcomed “838 runners and spectators from 59 countries, bringing their energy and excitement to tackle this incredibly demanding track.”

Want to join in on the 2025 Great Wall Marathon? Find more information here. Plus, see some incredible photos from the 2024 Great Wall Marathon in this highlights post from Albatros Adventure Marathons.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C7IlBh5MeHL/

Lance Stephenson: ‘Anthony Edwards reminds me of me with the super green light’

Lance Stephenson has enjoyed a 10-year career in the NBA, and is currently tearing it up with the G League Iowa Wolves. During All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, he sat down with HoopsHype on behalf of Panini America to talk about his career, …

Lance Stephenson has enjoyed a 10-year career in the NBA, and is currently tearing it up with the G League Iowa Wolves. During All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, he sat down with HoopsHype on behalf of Panini America to talk about his career, trash-talking, China memes, his experience overseas, and more.

2023 Buick LPGA Shanghai prize money payouts for each player in China

It pays to play well on the LPGA.

It pays to play well on the LPGA, just ask Angel Yin.

The 25-year-old took down her United States Solheim Cup teammate and world No. 1 Lilia Vu in a playoff to win the 2023 Buick LPGA Shanghai in the event’s first return to China after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The win is the first of Yin’s career in 159 LPGA starts.

The American teammates previously squared off in a playoff earlier this season at the 2023 Chevron Championship, where Vu came out on top. Yin will take home the top prize of $315,000, with the runner-up Vu earning $192,550 as a consolation.

Check out the prize money payouts for each professional player at the 2023 Buick LPGA Shangai (Note: amateurs cannot make money at professional events).

Prize money payouts

Position Player Score Earnings
1 Angel Yin -14 $315,000
2 Lilia Vu -14 $192,550
T3 Hye-Jin Choi -13 $93,086
T3 Esther Henseleit -13 $93,086
T3 Yu Liu -13 $93,086
T3 Ariya Jutanugarn -13 $93,086
T3 Pavarisa Yoktuan -13 $93,086
T8 Madelene Sagstrom -12 $43,644
T8 Stephanie Meadow -12 $43,644
T8 Karis Davidson -12 $43,644
T8 Yuna Nishimura -12 $43,644
T8 Maja Stark -12 $43,644
T13 Frida Kinhult -11 $32,539
T13 Minjee Lee -11 $32,539
T13 Mi Hyang Lee -11 $32,539
16 Wichanee Meechai -10 $28,885
T17 Yuting Shi -9 $25,723
T17 Moriya Jutanugarn -9 $25,723
T17 A Lim Kim -9 $25,723
T17 Danielle Kang -9 $25,723
T21 Arpichaya Yubol -8 $21,738
T21 Hae Ran Ryu -8 $21,738
T21 Jasmine Suwannapura -8 $21,738
T21 Xiyu Lin -8 $21,738
T21 Lauren Coughlin -8 $21,738
T26 Carlota Ciganda -7 $17,942
T26 Matilda Castren -7 $17,942
T26 Maddie Szeryk -7 $17,942
T26 Bailey Tardy -7 $17,942
T26 Rose Zhang -7 $17,942
T31 Yan Liu -6 $14,674
T31 Mina Harigae -6 $14,674
T31 Alison Lee -6 $14,674
T31 Azahara Munoz -6 $14,674
T31 Peiyun Chien -6 $14,674
T36 Grace Kim -5 $11,933
T36 Celine Borge -5 $11,933
T36 Patty Tavatanakit -5 $11,933
T36 Anna Nordqvist -5 $11,933
T36 Lindy Duncan -5 $11,933
T41 Olivia Cowan -4 $9,367
T41 Hinako Shibuno -4 $9,367
T41 Maria Fassi -4 $9,367
T41 Ruoning Yin -4 $9,367
T41 Emily Kristine Pedersen -4 $9,367
T41 Nasa Hataoka -4 $9,367
T41 Danlin Cai -4 $9,367
T48 Gabriella Then -3 $7,853
T48 Jaravee Boonchant -3 $7,853
T50 Lauren Hartlage -2 $7,063
T50 Xiaowen Yin -2 $7,063
T50 Lydia Ko -2 $7,063
T50 Chanettee Wannasaen -2 $7,063
T50 Zixuan Wang (a) -2 $0
T55 Lucy Li -1 $6,325
T55 Weiwei Zhang -1 $6,325
T55 Kelly Tan -1 $6,325
T58 Pajaree Anannarukarn 1 $5,588
T58 Morgane Metraux 1 $5,588
T58 Perrine Delacour 1 $5,588
T58 Xizihan Wang (a) 1 $0
T58 Dani Holmqvist 1 $5,588
63 Minami Katsu 2 $5,166
T64 Zixin Ni (a) 3 $0
T64 Shuying Li 3 $4,955
T64 Muni He 3 $4,955
T64 Gina Kim 3 $4,955
T68 Paula Reto 4 $4,586
T68 Linnea Strom 4 $4,586
T68 Andrea Lee 4 $4,586
T68 Ruixin Liu 4 $4,586
T72 Xiang Sui 6 $4,270
T72 Yuli Shi 6 $4,270
T74 Emma Talley 7 $4,138
T74 Yuai Ji 7 $4,138
76 Miranda Wang 8 $4,058
77 Yanhong Pan 10 $4,006
78 Yujie Liu (a) 14 $0
79 Wenbo Liu 16 $3,958
80 Amy Wu (a) 17 $0

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Angel Yin defeats No. 1 Lilia Vu in Shanghai playoff for first LPGA victory in 159 starts

Yin let her personality shine through in her first LPGA victory.

While in China for the Buick LPGA Masters, Angel Yin took in some tennis. During a semifinal match of the Shanghai Masters, Yin noticed how seventh-ranked Andrey Rublev “expressed himself very well on the court.”

“It wasn’t like he was just completely emotionless,” said Yin, who found herself flatlining on the golf course.

After making bogey on the sixth hole Sunday in Shanghai, Yin gave herself a pep talk walking up the next fairway.

“I was pretty emotional during Solheim,” she said, “and I did pretty good.”

The self-talk paid off as an engaged Yin took down World No. 1 Lilia Vu in a playoff for her first LPGA victory in 159 career starts at the Buick LPGA Shanghai. The two Solheim Cup teammates squared off earlier this season in a playoff at the Chevron Championship, where Vu came out on top. It’s Yin’s first professional victory since the 2017 Omega Dubai Ladies Classic on the Ladies European Tour. She went 2-1-0 in her third appearance for the U.S. Solheim Cup Team this past September.

“Today was just Angel’s day,” said Vu. “I’m happy for her.”

Yin closed with a 70 at Qizhong Garden Golf Club while Vu shot 68. The pair were knotted at 14 under 274 for the tournament, one shot ahead of five players.

The 25-year-old Yin made birdie on the first playoff hole to defeat Vu, her Solheim Cup teammate, and a three-time winner this season. Yin becomes the 12th first-time winner on the LPGA this season, a new record for the tour. She earned $315,000 for her efforts.

Angel Yin of the United States and her caddie react on the 18th green during the final round of the Buick LPGA Shanghai at Shanghai Qizhong Garden Golf Club on October 15, 2023 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Zhe Ji/Getty Images)

Throughout the round Yin, the overnight leader, kept reminding herself that it’s not easy to win on the LPGA. She also worked hard to let her personality shine through inside the ropes.

“It’s funny because we’ve been talking about this a lot for the past few years,” said Yin. “I’ve been speaking to (former Solheim captain) Juli Inkster about it. I don’t really feel much emotion on the golf course. She was like, ‘No, that’s not good. I want you to get mad again.’

“I got a lot of emotions and I think started doing again and I started playing well. That helped me a lot, to be able to be expressive and not just flat-lining on the golf course. Growing up everyone taught me to be stone-faced, no emotions, poker face. I don’t think that fits me. What’s fitting me right now is what I’m doing to express myself.”

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Carl Yuan is playing for an entire country at 2023 Sanderson Farms Championship

It’s something Carl Yuan carries on his shoulders.

JACKSON, Miss. –  It’s something Carl Yuan carries on his shoulders.

Yuan has the chance to become the first mainland Chinese-born player to earn a victory on the PGA Tour when he tees it up in the final pairing at the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Yuan, 26, is the third mainland Chinese player to earn PGA Tour membership and enters the final round at 17 under, three shots behind leader Ben Griffin. Yuan and Griffin are scheduled to tee off in the final pairing at 2:50 p.m. Sunday at Country Club of Jackson.

“It means a great deal to me and my country,” said Yuan, who shot 5-under 67 in Saturday’s third round. “I’m looking forward to play great [on Sunday].”

Yuan joins Zecheng Dou and Li Haotong as mainland Chinese players to reach the PGA Tour. Dou also enters Sunday in contention after shooting 68 on Saturday. He’s tied for sixth with Cameron Champ at 15 under.

Who is Carl Yuan? Mainland Chinese players on PGA Tour

Yuan, who played his college golf at Washington, turned professional in 2018, two years after graduation. He won on the Korn Ferry Tour at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open in 2022 and the PGA Tour China at the Qingdao Championship in 2018. But a win on pro golf’s premier tour has been elusive in 29 career starts.

He’s not the only one. Li has made 45 starts on Tour, including a solo third finish at the 2017 Open Championship won by Jordan Spieth. Dou has one top-5 finish in 55 starts since 2018 and entered this week ranked 125th in the FedEx Cup Fall standings, the final slot to gain full Tour status for next season.

Yuan is at No. 151 in the standings, just outside the cutline for conditional status on Tour in 2024. A strong finish should put him safely in position to play more PGA Tour events next season.

“I would love to see more kids and players in China play on the big tour out here,” Yuan said. “I hope I can do what I can to help grow the game back there.”

How Carl Yuan played into contention at Sanderson Farms Championship

Yuan is strategic when showing his emotions, whether it’s an impressive two-putt from 30 feet — it received cheers from patrons watching from a nearby pavilion Saturday — or a chip from the fringe that scurried past the whole, making him wish he could have that shot back.

Yuan’s calm and relaxed demeanor has paced his game this week in Mississippi. Through three rounds, he led the field with 20 birdies and was in the top 10 with just three bogeys. He was also 3-for-3 on sand saves and hasn’t carded a double-bogey or worse this week.

“That’s something I’ve been working on,” he said. “Accept good and bad shots. Just stay focused on the next one and move on.”

For example, Yuan caught a break on No. 18 on Saturday when his second shot from the rough hit the grandstand, caught a favorable bounce and landed on the fringe. Yuan went on to two-putt and save par.

“I got lucky that I hit the right grandstand,” he said, smiling. “So it was definitely a break there.”

He might need a few more breaks Sunday to chase down Griffin and secure his first win on the PGA Tour. He doesn’t expect to be fazed.

“My early success (on other tours) will definitely help me going into (the final round),” Yuan said. “I know what I need to do to just focus on my game. To stay committed and be patient and we’ll see how it turns out.”

Michael Chavez covers high school sports, among others, for the Clarion-Ledger. Email him at mchavez@gannett.com or reach out to him on X @MikeSChavez.

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Watch: ‘Compassionate’ elephant returns shoe dropped by child

Video has surfaced showing an elephant using its trunk to pick up a child’s shoe, which had fallen into its enclosure, and gently return the shoe to the child.

Video has surfaced showing an elephant using its trunk to pick up a child’s shoe, which had fallen into its enclosure, and gently return the shoe to the child.

“He is confined. But not his spirits & compassion,” Susanta Nanda described on X. “Returns the shoe of a child which accidentally fell in its enclosure.”

Nanda works for the Indian Forest Service, but the footage he obtained is from a facility in Weihai in Shandong Province, China.

Nanda added a hopeful sentiment in parenthesis: “Free wild [animals] from cages.”

Rockets legend Yao Ming leads FIBA Hall of Fame’s 2023 induction class

As part of the 2023 induction class, #Rockets legend Yao Ming was recently honored with a spot in the FIBA Hall of Fame.

In 2016, legendary Houston Rockets center Yao Ming was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2023, the 7-foot-5 big man was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame to honor a career that had a dramatic impact on basketball in Yao’s native country of China and throughout the world.

The FIBA Hall of Fame honors players, coaches, teams, referees, and administrators who have greatly contributed to international competitive basketball. It was established by FIBA in 1991.

Yao, who began his professional career with China’s Shanghai Sharks, played in a range of international competitions, including three Olympic Games and two world championships.

Success in those settings paved the way for Yao to join the NBA. He was drafted No. 1 overall by the Rockets in 2002. In eight seasons in Houston (2002-2010), Yao averaged 19 points (52.4% FG), 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 32.5 minutes per game.

Ultimately, his career was tragically cut short by various foot injuries. Yet, because of his on-court brilliance over that limited time and a unique personal story, Yao made a lasting impact.

Here’s a look at Yao’s induction speech. In all, 12 players were inducted as part of this year’s class, which was announced as part of activities surrounding the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

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