NOVEMBER 14, 20 DAILY PAGE 6 ASIAD WUSHU AND WEIGHTLIFTING

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE (From left to right): Ivana Ardelia Irmanto of Indonesia shows her skills in the women’s wushu all-round nandao competition at the Asian Games on Saturday. Lin Fan of China competes in the women’s wushu nanquan. Leung Man Chun of Hong Kong competes in the men’s wushu changquan competition. ‘Long Fist’ champ eyeing movie career HUMBLE CHAMPION WAS A CLASS AHEAD OF RIVALS ON WAY TO GAMES’ FIRST GOLD

By TANG YUE Chan into the local movie Yuan’s performance at the Yuan said he now pays more who is coached by China’s Mu CHINA DAILY industry. Nansha Gymnasium. In attention to the development of Ning, seized bronze on the fi rst “Th ere’s always so much the buildup to the com- the sport as a whole. day of competition at the games — Yuan Xiao- to improve,” he said. “I just petition, even his closest “I’m happy to see so many with a score of 9.70. chao has become an overnight want to hone my skills and rivals conceded that no reporters here because it shows Later on Saturday, Lin Fan celebrity in China aft er he claimed concentrate on my train- WUSHU one else had the speed or the popularity of wushu,” he said. made it a Chinese double when the fi rst gold medal of the Guang- ing. Th e movie thing is on skills to match him. Silver medalist Daisuke she won the nanquan/ nandao all- zhou Games, but he is far from the backburner for now.” The Shandong native comes Ichikizaki from Japan expressed round title with a score of 19.80, satisfi ed despite his near-fl awless Yuan flashed his fighting from a line of winners. His uncle similar sentiments. adding the Asian Games crown to performance in the changquan credentials to Lethal Weapon and coach, Yuan Xindong, tri- “Four years ago, I took part her 2007 world title. (long fi st) discipline of the wushu 4 villain Li, himself a former umphed at the same event at the in the Doha Asian Games and Indonesia’s Ivana Irmanto competition on Saturday. national wushu champion, at 2002 Busan Asian Games, before fi nished 11th. I’m really happy to took silver with 18.92. Malaysia’s “Of course I’m happy to win the the Beijing Olympics two years he passed the baton to the 18- achieve this today,” said Ichikiza- Cheau Xuen netted bronze and fi rst gold medal at the Asiad. I’m ago, when wushu was staged as year-old in Doha in 2006. ki, who scored 9.72. “None of the early favorite Yuen Ka Ying of just not the kind of person who a demonstration sport. Yuan won This came one year after the martial arts athletes in Japan have Hong Kong, last year’s world wears his heart on his sleeve,” said the changquan event while Li teenager won his fi rst world title professional status. I hope my silver medalist, fi nished fourth the 22-year-old, who scored 9.78 watched from the stands. at the Hanoi World Champion- medal helps promote martial arts after a series of minor errors points and harbors dreams of fol- In Guangzhou on Saturday, ships in 2005, a feat he repeated back in my country.” derailed her bid to top the lowing his heroes Jet Li and Jackie only one minor slip-up marred in 2007 in Beijing. Iranian Ehsan Peyghambari, podium. History jerked away from disappointed Wu

By TANG YUE nearest rival, Cha Kum- “I had less than two He won three consecutive CHINA DAILY chol of the Democratic months to recover aft er Olympics from 1996 to 2004 as People’s Republic of the World Champion- well as fi ve world titles. GUANGZHOU — Despite win- Korea. ships, otherwise I should “Like every weightlift ing athlete, ning the gold medal in Saturday’s However, aft er break- have had a better perfor- I admire Mutlu so much,” said WEIGHTLIFTING men’s 56kg weightlift ing competi- ing the snatch record, mance,” said Wu, who Wu, who started lift ing at the age tion, China’s Wu Jingbiao was dis- Wu failed to lift 160 kg in his won his fi rst world title with a per- of 11 in 2000. “His world record appointed aft er failing to break the second and third clean and jerk sonal best of 292 kg at September’s is extremely hard to break. But I Asian clean and jerk record owned attempts. Worlds in , . will bear it in mind and I’ll try my by Halil Mutlu of Turkey. “Although I won the gold today, However, it is still far from the best. I can’t promise I can make it AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE In the event’s opening section, the result is really a tragedy. The 305 kg record held by one of the in a few years, but that goal will Gold winner Wu Jingbiao of China Wu won the gold by lift ing a total snatch was okay, but the clean and sport’s most celebrated athletes, surely make me work harder in competes in the men’s under- of 285 kg — 9 kg more than his jerk was poor,” said the 21-year-old. Mutlu. the future.” 56kg category.