Digest

OLYMPICS

Competitive instinct inspiring IOC's Zhang

Zhang Hong may have hung up her skates a few years ago but the sporting impulse continues to permeate her life.

"The sports spirit has guided me through difficult times, whether in competition or in life," said the 2014 Olympic champion speed skater following a questions-and-answers session at the ongoing Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne, Switzerland.

"I feel that the sports spirit has been with me and will influence my entire life. For example, when I started to learn English two years ago, I couldn't remember all the words. Then I pushed myself as hard as I would in athletic training. I set small objectives and tried step by step, and it worked."

Zhang was elected a member of the International Olympic Committee in 2018, and describes her job as "very busy and requiring a lot of learning".

With the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics fast approaching, Zhang has backed China to put on a superb show.

"We will surprise the world in two years," said the 31-year-old.

SKELETON

China's Geng makes breakthrough in France

China won its first ever skeleton World Cup medal on Friday when Geng Wenqiang bagged bronze in La Plagne, France.

The 24-year-old shared third place with 2018 Olympic champion Yun Sung-bin of South Korea, with the pair both 1.39 seconds behind winner Alexander Tretiakov of Russia.

Tretiakov clocked a track-record 59.28 seconds to beat Latvia's Martins Dukurs, the previous track-record holder, by 0.37 seconds. China's Yan Wengang ranked 15th.

Russia's Elena Nikitina won the women's race in 1:01.35, with Austrian Janine Flock taking silver and Germany's Jacqueline Loelling claiming bronze. China's Lin Huiyang finished 19th.

WUSHU

China wins annual Sanda championship

China beat Egypt to retain the Horus Wushu Sanda Championship title in Cairo on Saturday.

The annual competition was organized by the Chinese Embassy's Cultural Center in the Egyptian capital in cooperation with the wushu associations of both countries.

This year, each team was comprised of eight male and two female athletes, with China roared on to a 6-4 victory by a sizable contingent of spectators from Cairo's Chinese community.

The championship was attended by Egyptian Youth and Sports Minister Ashraf Sobhy, Chinese ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang, Chinese Cultural Counselor to Egypt Shi Yuewen and a number of Egyptian officials.

China's coach, Wu Wenjun, said wushu's recent inclusion in the 2022 Youth Olympic Games necessitated more such exchanges. "This kind of martial art has become recognized at the Youth Olympics, so we have an obligation to make this sport more popular," Wu told Xinhua.

DIVING

Governing body draws on ex-champs' expertise

The China Diving Association (CDA) was established in Beijing on Saturday, with Olympic great Zhou Jihong elected as chairwoman.

"We will work on the further development of diving and try to maintain our fighting momentum to reach high standards," said Zhou, who won women's 10m platform gold at the 1984 Olympics.

China's 'Dream Team' has won 40 gold medals over the last nine Olympics, with the CDA keen to draw on that expertise as it seeks to continue the country's dominance of the sport. 2004 Athens Games winner Hu Jia is one of the CDA's four vice-presidents.

"We will try to carry on our diving spirit with dedication, self-motivation and teamwork. At the same time, we will promote the development of the sport based on its own characteristics and make our sport more popular in China," said Hu.

ATHLETICS

Kipsang suspended for 'whereabouts failure'

Kenyan marathon runner Wilson Kipsang has been handed a temporary suspension by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for anti-doping breaches.

The former world-record holder has been banned from competing "for whereabouts failures and tampering" until his hearing has taken place, the AIU said in a statement issued on Friday evening.

Anti-doping regulations demand that athletes inform testing authorities of their whereabouts for a onehour window of every day. Three failures in 12 months leads to an automatic ban.

Kipsang's management team, Volare Sports Running, dismissed the suspension and said: "The accusation regarding alleged/attempted tampering concerns an explanation that was given in the results management process regarding a possible whereabouts failure and does not concern tampering with a doping test itself."

Kipsang is the sixth fastest marathon runner of all time (2 hours 3 minutes and 13 seconds) but has not won over the distance since 2018.

BASKETBALL

Harden passes 20,000 points as Rockets roar

James Harden scored 32 points in three quarters to surpass the 20,000 mark and the Houston Rockets rolled to a 139-109 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday.

Houston led by double figures for most of the game and used a huge run in the third quarter to put it out of reach and bounce back after a lopsided loss to Oklahoma City on Thursday night.

Harden is the 45th player in NBA history, and the seventh-youngest, to reach 20,000 points. He entered the game 10 points away and reached the milestone in fitting fashion, on a step-back 3-pointer midway through the second quarter. He also had 12 rebounds and eight assists.

Already without Clint Capela because of a bruised heel, the Rockets lost fellow starter PJ Tucker early in the first quarter when he fell hard on his right shoulder. However, Houston was just fine without them thanks to another big game from Harden and a 30-point performance by Russell Westbrook.