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CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Wednesday, March 31, 2021 | 19 SPORTS Marshon’s misery WINTER OLYMPICS Figure skaters’ flop delivers wake­up call China’s solitary silver the highlight of sole representative in the ladies’ event, finished 21st, while the duo otherwise poor performance at worlds of Wang Shiyue and Liu Xinyu took 13th spot in the ice dance, each earning a qualification berth in By SUN XIAOCHEN gold in Beijing. their respective disciplines for next [email protected] “This is a good start for us,” Han year’s Olympics. told the Olympic Channel after Along with Han and Sui, Peng Despite the strong return of its Thursday’s free skate. “Our plan Cheng and Jin Yang also secured an ace couple in the pairs event, Team this year was to recover. We wanted Olympic pairs berth, thanks to a China’s slim pickings across the to stay healthy... so we can compete fourth­place finish. China is now other disciplines at the World Fig­ in the Winter Olympic Games.” aiming to secure a third pairs entry ure Skating Championships has “We did what we can do right at the next qualifying event — the sent alarm bells ringing at home now,” Sui added. “We only prac­ Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany in ahead of Beijing 2022. ticed on the ice for two months aft­ late September. With China a traditional power­ er the recovery (from Han’s According to International Skat­ house in the sport, a solitary silver surgery).” ing Union rules, each country or medal and just five Olympic quali­ “We’re glad that we can compete region can qualify a maximum of fication spots at last week’s worlds at a pretty good level. However, three skaters, or pairs, in an Olym­ in Stockholm fell well below expec­ we’re not at our best yet, only 70 to pic event — as long they are ranked tations to raise concerns that golds 80 percent of our best selves, but high enough. could prove elusive at the Winter we do think we’ve made huge Despite the daunting challenges Olympics on home ice next year. progress in just two months.” ahead, Lori Nichol, a Canadian Just two months into their reun­ Some disappointing executions choreographer who has been work­ ion, two­time world champion pair from Han and Sui’s compatriots in ing with Team China for over a dec­ Han Cong and Sui Wenjing the face of stiff competition from ade, is remaining upbeat on the impressed in their first official out­ Russia and Japan, however, provid­ host’s Olympic prospects. ing since Han was sidelined follow­ ed something of a wake­up call for Based in Toronto, Nichol has ing hip surgery last April, winning China ahead of the Beijing Games. been overseeing Han and Sui’s China’s only medal in the Swedish Arriving in Sweden fresh from progress during the pandemic via capital, and their fifth at the winning the Cup of China title in online Zoom calls. worlds. November, men’s singles skater Jin “The Olympics are always a huge Even with minor flaws in Sui’s Boyang, a two­time bronze medal­ pressure for everyone; everybody jumps, the Chinese duo, who won ist at the worlds (2016­17), came up would like to do their best there,” the world title in 2017 and 2019, well short in his quest to bring Nichol, a World Figure Skating Hall looked to be approaching their home a third medal. A series of of Fame member, told NBC Sports best. Their trademark triple­flip botched landings in both the short last week. throws and some difficult lifts program and free skate saw Jin fin­ Reflecting on Han and Sui’s helped them score 148.09 points in ish a lowly 22nd. chances, she commented: “You the free skate for a 225.71 total to Attempting a routine considered know you want it, so let’s focus finish less than two points behind to be of a world­class difficulty lev­ minute by minute, day by day, week winners Anastasia Mishina and el, the 23­year­old failed to land any by week, and we will be there.” Aleksandr Galliamov. Russia’s of his quadruple jumps properly in Nichol is planning some magical Marshon Brooks of the Guangdong Southern Tigers rises for a layup as Liu Zeyi of the Zhejiang Golden Aleksandra Boikova and Dmitrii the free skate, scoring 91.74 points moves for Sui and Han’s gold­med­ Bulls defends during a Chinese Basketball Association game in Zhuji, Zhejiang province, on Monday. Kozlovskii took third spot. lower than his winning total at the al bid, but how and where their cre­ Brooks, the defending CBA champions’ leading scorer, ruptured his Achilles tendon in a 125­119 victory Having battled back from a stag­ Cup of China in Chongqing, a leg of ative partnership will continue over the Golden Bulls. “Very tough time for me. I’ve worked my entire life to get to this point. I feel like I gering array of injuries, including the ISU Grand Prix series. amid the pandemic is unclear. was the best player I’ve ever been this season due to hard work and dedication, but this is indeed a part Sui’s repeated ankle problems, Jin’s poor showing at the worlds, “I try not to think about that,” she of life. I can’t feel sorry for myself during this time. I must keep my head up and attack the recovery proc­ since 2012, the Chinese pair drew coupled with veteran Yan Han’s said. “I focus just on the music and ess as soon as I can,” Brooks wrote on his Weibo account. The 32­year­old former NBA player averaged enough encouragement from last 13th­place finish, means China can our approach. And whether it is me 27.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.4 steals in 46 appearances this season. His injury is another week’s routines to believe they can now only send one of these skaters going there or them coming here, blow to Guangdong’s hopes of retaining the CBA title, with the team still awaiting the return of star cen­ turn the silver they won at the 2018 to the home Olympics. or Zoom, it’s all possible to make ter Yi Jianlian, who ruptured his Achilles tendon in last season’s league finals. XINHUA Winter Games in South Korea into Teenager Chen Hongyi, China’s great work.” SOCCER Aguero departing City an indisputable club legend Sergio Aguero, Manchester City’s had a “huge sense of satisfaction straight seasons for City and will go reached the final of the English record scorer, will leave the English and pride” about playing for City for down as one of the greatest strikers to League Cup, the semifinals of the FA club after 10 years when his contract a decade and is ready to “continue have played in the Premier League. Cup, and the quarterfinals of the expires at the end of the season. competing at the highest level”. He is the league’s highest­scoring Champions League — a trophy The 32­year­old Argentina striker “Sergio’s contribution to Man­ overseas player. His haul of 181 puts Aguero has yet to win at the club. has 257 goals for City, the most chester City over the last 10 years him fourth on the all­time scoring He has, though, won the Premier famous being his stoppage­time cannot be overstated,” club chair­ list, behind Alan Shearer (260), League four times, the League Cup winner against Queens Parks Ran­ man Khaldoon Al Mubarak said. Wayne Rooney (208) and Andy Cole five times, and the FA Cup once. gers on the final day of the 2011­12 “His legend will be indelibly etched (187). Aguero was able to change his season that clinched the team its into the memories of everyone who Aguero also has a Premier game to fit in with the style of play first league title in 44 years. loves the club and maybe even in League­high 12 hat­tricks. demanded by Pep Guardiola after A key player in the growth of the those who simply love football.” Aguero said he forged “an inde­ the Spanish coach took charge of Abu Dhabi­owned club as a major Al Mubarak said a statue of Ague­ structible bond with all those who City in 2016. He transformed him­ force in England and Europe, Ague­ ro has been commissioned to stand love this club — people who will self into more of an all­round player, ro has struggled with injuries over alongside those currently being always be in my heart”. with the ability to drop deeper and the past year and been restricted to made to honor the player’s former “I will continue to give it my link play, but never lost his fearsome just 14 appearances in all competi­ teammates, David Silva and Vincent utmost for the rest of the season to ball­striking and poacher qualities tions this season. The penalty he Kompany. win more titles and bring more joy inside the area. converted against Fulham on March That trio, along with midfielder to the fans,” Aguero said in his Twit­ Aguero has previously spoken 13 was his 181st goal in the Premier Yaya Toure, were central to City’s ter post. “Then, a new stage with about returning to Argentina to fin­ League but his first in the division success over the past decade. new challenges will begin.” ish his career with his first club, since January 2020.

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