TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2016 SPORTS Kosovo athletes to fly the flag with pride in Rio

ROGANE: Kosovo’s 400 metres runner Vijona many athletes from the small Balkan country he said last month on Twitter: “We may get good.” Hajdari and Kryeziu are the two of eight Kryeziu has been training for the Olympic had to leave their home towns to participate gold, we may not, still #heroes.” Kosovo finally athletes from Kosovo who will be travelling to Games in the mountains around her native vil- under another country’s flag. became member of the Olympic Committee in Rio. The other six are two swimmers, two lage of Rogane, fulfilling a dream that until During London 2012, judo double world 2014. This year it joined UEFA and FIFA. judokas, a cyclist and a shooter. recently seemed impossible to many of her champion Majlinda Kelmendi had to compete “I never thought that I will see this day,” said “A lot of children were born as talents but country’s athletes. for Albania. In Rio she will proudly carry the 800 metre runner Musa Hajdari, Kryeziu’s team they will die without knowing their talent,” The Rio Games will be the first to host ath- Kosovo flag at the opening ceremony. mate. “It is a big responsibility for us and we said Zijadin Kryeziu, the country’s athletics letes competing under the flag of Kosovo, “It is big success for Kosovo that is repre- will try to go and give the maximum,” he said. coach, referring to the many who were not which proclaimed independence from Serbia sented for the first time with its flag,” President With her nails painted red, Kryeziu fixed the given the opportunity to participate in big in 2008, nine years after a NATO bombing cam- Hashim Thaci said on Friday when he handed starting block for her and Hajdari. sports events. “We will try to make a good paign to drive Serbian forces from its territory. over the flag to Kelmendi. “This is the break of She acknowledged they were running in debut,” said Kryeziu, who also works as a “I am very lucky to be part of these Games,” isolation from sport after almost three the woods because there was no athletics sta- teacher. “Everything that happens there will Kryeziu, 18, said. To pursue their careers before, decades.” Summing up the jubilation of many, dium nearby. “The conditions for us are not be a miracle.” — Reuters Yadav cleared of doping to keep Rio hopes alive

MUMBAI: ’s Narsingh Yadav was exoner- bronze in the 66kg category in Beijing in 2008 ated of doping charges yesterday after an and silver in London, moved up a weight after Indian anti-doping disciplinary panel ruled his category was scrapped and sought a court that there was no fault or negligence on the order for a bout between the pair to deter- part of the wrestler and he was a victim of mine who should go to Rio. Last month, the “sabotage”. Delhi High Court ruled against Kumar, the Yadav, who secured India a berth at the Rio only Indian athlete to win two individual Games in the 74kg category by winning a Olympic medals, clearing the way for Yadav to bronze medal at last year’s world champi- compete in Rio. The qualification row divided onships in Las Vegas, tested positive for a opinion in the country and Yadav was provid- banned steroid last month but now waits to ed police security, a rare measure for an hear whether he has been granted an Indian athlete, at the Sports Authority of India Olympics lifeline. training centre at Sonepat due to possible “There is no fault or negligence on the ath- threats to his life. Following the positive test, lete’s part and he is a victim of sabotage,” the Federation of India (WFI) had National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) director provisionally sent the name of general, Navin Agarwal, told Reuters by as replacement for Rio to the United World phone. The freestyle wrestler had said his Wrestling (UWW) but said it would now supplements and water had been sabotaged approach the governing body to allow Yadav and lodged a police complaint against a jun- to compete at the Olympics. ior wrestler accusing him of contaminating his “We will write to both WADA and the UWW food at the Sports Authority of India training to allow Narsingh Yadav to compete at the Rio : In this photograph taken on July centre in Sonepat. Games,” Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh told 27, 2016, Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav “I want to thank everyone who supported reporters. leaves the National Anti-Doping Agency me. It’s a triumph for truth,” Yadav told “I am sure Narsingh Yadav will go to Rio (NADA) in New Delhi. India’s anti-doping reporters. “Now I want to go to Rio and bring and win a medal for India.” Men’s freestyle agency yesterday revived wrestler Narsingh back a medal for India.” wrestling starts in Rio from Aug. 19, which the Yadav’s hopes of Olympics glory by clearing Yadav’s Olympic berth was initially put in WFI said gives ample time for the wrestler to him of consuming a banned substance, declar- jeopardy when , who won be reinstated. —Reuters ing his food had been spiked by a rival. —AFP Five Chinese athletes to watch in Rio 2016

BEIJING: The 31st Summer Olympics starts on August 5. AFP Sport looks at five Chinese ath- letes to watch at Games:

Lin Dan (Badminton) Competing in his fourth and probably final Olympics in Rio, the 32-year-old shuttle star Lin will be going for a third singles gold after tri- RIO DE JANEIRO: Zimbabwean rower Micheen Barbara Thornycraft attempts to walk umphing at his home Beijing Games in 2008 and on a tight rope at the Olympic athletes village in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday. The again in London four years ago. Lin’s stiffest Summer 2016 olympics is scheduled to open Aug 5. — AP competition would appear to come from coun- tryman Chen Long and eternal rival Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia, who is back atop the world Speedster Green chasing rankings after returning from a doping ban last year. “Super Dan” beat Lee in both Olympic finals and, currently ranked third, will relish the chance rugby gold for to complete his golden hat-trick against his biggest rival. CANBERRA: has been cutting women’s basketball team, field hockey her teeth as a rugby player for four years players and Sharni Sun Yang (Swimming) in the pursuit of an Olympic gold medal. Williams, who was a full-time auto Controversy is never far away for the London It has cost her a couple of teeth along the mechanic, and and 2012 freestyle 400m and 1500m Olympic cham- way, too. Alicia Quirk from touch football - a non- pion and 200m silver medallist. He skipped his The so-called fastest woman in world contact form of rugby. country’s Olympic swim trials in April with a foot rugby, for a long time Green trained in Having a squad of full-time contracted injury and pulled out of last year’s world champi- Ma Long track and field and had competed at players paid off in the women’s world onships, citing a “heart problem”, after he served international level for Australia before sevens series when the Australians broke a three-month ban in 2014 for testing positive being universally regarded as the best player in waiting for this gold medal for a long time,” making a sudden move into the rough- New Zealand’s dominance of the compe- for the banned stimulant trimetazidine-which the world. But he did win gold in the team event Zhong told media after her world title, adding and-tumble sport. tition, Green made more clean line breaks can also be used to treat the heart condition as China dominated. Ma has been selected for she would try her hardest to make history in Rio. Like so many players in the world than anyone in the 2016 world series and angina. China’s most decorated swimmer, who both singles and team events in Rio this time series-winning Australian women’s squad, scored 17 tries fourth on the list for the has also won seven world championship golds around alongside compatriot and London gold Wang Jianan (Long jump) it was games of backyard rugby with a season - lifting her career tally to 61. New in distance events, is nevertheless gunning to medallist Zhang Jike, who Ma will attempt to In taking world championship bronze just brother as a child that provided the only Zealander Portia Woodman led the try- retain his titles, and additionally turn 200m silver prevent from becoming the first man to defend days before his 19th birthday in Beijing last real hint about the physical demands of scoring for the season with 24, followed into gold. “The impact of these four years, of an Olympic table tennis singles title. August, with 8.18m behind Olympic champion Greg Rutherford’s winning 8.41m, Wang leapt the game. “He always tried to get me by Green’s Australian teammate Emilee defending my identity, and the pressure has Zhong Tianshi (Cycling) into the record books as the first Asian to win a involved. He tried to tackle me in the Cherry with 22 and Ghislaine Landry of changed, but the goal has not changed. My goal is to defend my gold medals,” he told reporters The 25-year-old became China’s first individ- global long jump medal outdoors. He had backyard,” Green recalled of her brother, Canada with 19. Australia won the first earlier this year. ual track world champion when she beat coun- served notice of his talent three months earlier Mitchell, now 25 and still playing rugby three titles in the five-event series and trywoman Lin Junhong in the women’s sprint in when setting an Asian record of 8.25m at the union. “It helped. Growing up, we were reached the final on the last stop to finish Ma Long (Table tennis) London in March. Zhong won the best-of-three Shanghai Diamond League meeting. The 2014 sort of rough with each other. He told me with 94 points, 14 clear of second-place The 27-year-old world number one was con- final series 2-0 to improve upon the bronze she world junior champion now has eyes on ‘You should try rugby, you’d be so good New Zealand and 20 clear of Canada and troversially overlooked in the singles by China’s won 12 months earlier. She is now gunning for Rutherford’s crown in Rio and is young enough, at it.’” That wasn’t exactly the unanimous England. selectors for London four years ago after a blip in the gold in Rio that would make her the coun- given an injury-free run, to be still threatening family line. Her mother, Yolanta, wasn’t The convincing series win make the form and consequent rankings slip, despite try’s first Olympic track champion. “I have been the podium for Tokyo 2020 and beyond. —AFP really sold on the idea at first. “She was Australians favorites for gold in Rio, but unsure about it - she was worried,” Green Green and her teammates are conscious said. “‘Ellia, can’t you pick a sport where that New Zealand timed its preparations you can’t get hurt?’” to peak for the Olympic tournament Four years later, by her reckoning, which kicks off Saturday. Green has had five operations. “Finger Speed is one of the Australian team’s surgeries, I’ve lost teeth, shoulder opera- biggest assets, and Green knows she’ll be tions,” she said, running through her cata- in the targets of defenders for that rea- log of injuries. “That’s one thing (Yolanta) son. She looks inside and outside of the was worried about. game for motivation, recalling the “But above all, she said opportunities posters of sprinters she had on her walls like this don’t come often. If it wasn’t for in her track and field days, admiring the her, I probably wouldn’t have gone on likes of Carmelita Jeter, Allyson Felix and with it.” Green’s initial contact with rugby Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. sevens was as a driver - giving her cousin From a perspective, she a ride to a “Pathway to Gold” talent identi- looks to the likes of US men’s players fication tryout in in 2012. Carlin Isles and Perry Baker. “I do look up There were women there from all kinds of to speedsters,” she said. “I just like the sports, and from all over Australia. power.” Rugby is returning to the “I wasn’t planning on going at all. I was Olympics for the first time in 92 years, in just taking my cousin,” Green recalled in the modified sevens version rather than an interview with The Associated Press. “It the traditional 15-a-side game. Women was spontaneous. There were 150-200 will be playing for rugby medals for the girls. They only picked two.” first time, and Green sees that as an opportunity to break down some BORN IN stereotypes. “I want to be a tough girl One of those was Green, who was who can do anything,” she said. “I’m into born in Fiji and raised in Australia. The my cars. I love building - I did some con- team has several players drawn from oth- struction work last year. I don’t think NEW YORK: In this May 19, 2016, file photo, Adeline Gray, bottom, attempts to take down Canada’s Justina Di Stasio during the Beat the Streets er sports, including , who there should be any boundaries to what wrestling exhibition in Times Square in New York. Gray is ranked No. 1 at 75 kilograms (165 pounds) and will attempt to win the first gold for US earlier had aspirations to be in Australia’s girls should do.” —AP women’s wrestling on Aug 18 at the Olympics in Rio. — AP