6 olympics MONDAY, JULY 30, 2012 CHINA DAILY HOTONWEB @Sun Yang “I made it. I succeeded. I did it! Thanks for all your support!” Chinese swimmer Sun Yang after winning the men’s 400m freestyle @DwyaneWade “Congrts to #SunYang on being the fi rst chinese swimmer to win GOLD!!! #DreamsDoComeTrue” NBA star Dwyane Wade on Sun’s gold medal @Lang Lang “Sun Yang was so great! He made history! Come on. More gold medals are waiting for you.” Chinese pianist Lang Lang on Sun’s victory @Liu Xiang “Ye Shiwen! You stunned me! New world record! The freestyle at last was too overwhelming. Chinese swimming is so terrifi c!” CUI MENG / CHINA DAILY China’s star hurdler, on Ye Shiwen’s gold medal and world China’s Sun Yang won the 400m freestyle at the London Olympics on Saturday. Inset: Park Tae-hwan avoided being disqualifi ed in the heats, but still couldn’t get the best of Sun. record. @MarkCavendish “Gutted. After 250km, less than a minute to 20 guys. My guys were INCREDIBLE & there was nothing more we could do. Victims of our own The hard way is better success.” Britain’s Mark Cavendish after fi nishing a disappointing 29th in the cycling road race China’s Sun says beating rival Park made gold medal more satisfying, Sun Xiaochen reports. uper Sun got to do it the right learning of the disqualifi cation. Sun and Park got reacquainted Grand Slam winner Li Na. way. He preferred to face Park in the again in the semis of the 200m free Sun jumped on the podium a bit China’s star swimmer can fi nal, especially aft er Korean media on Sunday, where Sun again fin- earlier than the call, a move reminis- S thank FINA, the sport’s gov- mistakenly blamed a Chinese judge ished ahead of Park. The Chinese cent of Liu at the 2004 Athens Games. erning body, for overturning a false- for the ruling. As it turned out, it was star clocked the fastest semi time of “In the past, not only I hoped I start disqualifi cation of South Korean a judge from the United States who I wouldn’t have been happy 1:45.61 in the second heat to fi nish would be on the podium, a lot of Chi- Park Tae-hwan in the Saturday morn- made the call. if I had won the gold medal ahead of Frenchman Yannick Agnel nese people did so as well. So I was ing heats of the men’s “I think if I took advantage of his without beating him (Park (1:45.64) and Park (1:46.2). Th e trio impatient to get on there,” Sun said. 400m freestyle. disqualifi cation to win tonight, many ‘‘ advanced as the three fastest qualifi ers Since smashing Australian distance “I wouldn’t have been of the Korean media would have said Tae-hwan) in the pool.” for Monday’s fi nal. swimmer Grand Hackett’s 10-year- happy if I had won the that my gold was not convincing SUN YANG Sun and Park will also race-off in old 1,500m world record at the gold medal without enough,” Sun told a packed mixed CHINESE SWIMMER the 1,500m. Shanghai meet last year, the Zhejiang beating him in the zone aft er he’d fi nished weeping. Peter Vanderkaay from the US native has become the vanguard of pool,” Sun said aft er clocking 3 min Sun said Park’s return gave him an won the 400m bronze medal 4.55 sec China’s growing supremacy in the 40.14 sec to out-perform Park with a extra push. going to say the disqualifi cation aff ect- behind Sun, who shaved 0.45 off the pool, and a new breed of athlete as 1.92 sec edge in the fi nal at the London “I took (Park’s successful appeal) as ed my result, but it’s diffi cult for me to Olympic record. well. Aquatics Centre on Saturday night. motivation,” said the 20-year-old, who come back aft er waiting for so long.” “Obviously, they’re off to a great Under the guidance of Hackett’s The 20-year-old became China’s lost to the Korean at last year’s Shang- Th e race was every bit the classic start,” Vanderkaay said. “Sun Yang had mentor Dennis Cotterell, Sun said he @millarmind fi rst male swimmer to win Olympic hai Worlds and the 2010 Guangzhou you’d expect from the top rivalry in a great swim, and I can just tip my hat has improved his strength for a better “I think @MarkCavendish needs a hug gold. Asian Games. Asia. to him. Th ey’re swimming great, and result in the next two races from the nation. Normally he’s angry Park, the defending champion and “I learned from last year’s failure Park took the lead after the first hopefully we can match them as the “I’ve trained extremely hard over when he loses, today he was just sad. the man Sun has been chasing for and improved my first 200 meters 100m, improving after every turn. meet progresses.” the past two years, pushing myself to He feels like he let GB down.” several years, was ruled out of the fi nal a lot.” Sun maintained his strength in the Sun has emerged as a rare interna- the limit. I am ready for the 1,500,” British cyclist David Millar race, although he won the heat with Park was apparently upset about fi rst 250m, hanging on to let Park lead tional sports icon in China, follow- he said. ease. Th e Korean delegation fi led an losing to Sun. the fi eld and gradually reeling him in ing in the footsteps of former NBA @swimhardy appeal, and the call was overturned. “Today has been a long day for me,” before leaving him for dead over the All-Star center Yao Ming, Olympic Contact the writer at “Just come for dinner and the Queen Sun was somewhat upset after said the 22-year-old Park. “I am not last 100m. champion hurdler Liu Xiang and [email protected] walked past.” US swimmer Jessica Hardy after an unexpected brush with royalty at the Athletes’ Village @BeckAdlington Robots? Nope — just really good athletes “Poor doggies!! They were so cute!!” British swimmer Rebecca By SUN XIAOCHEN Adlington, worrying about the for their sport. His remarks prompted curiosity “My training program is intense China is looking to fi ne-tune its sys- corgis’ welfare after they played a [email protected] British diving star Th omas Daley about China’s traditional means of but scientifically arranged as well. tem, cutting short training sessions, starring role alongside the queen recently told the Guardian that his cultivating athletes, as well as the sys- I don’t need to spend long hours in making them more eff ective, adding and James Bond actor Daniel Craig While most Chinese Olympic Chinese rival Qiu Bo performs as tem’s tough requirements in practice. the pool every day, and it’s not overly education programs and importing in the fi lm spoof shown during the champions train at unfathomably fl awlessly as a robot on a conveyor Some though, like Ye, don’t con- demanding for me,” said Ye, who was help from the West. opening ceremony. high levels, Ye Shiwen is a little more belt from the medal machine. sider it too diffi cult. sent to Australia twice for advanced “It’s the time for a reform of our fortunate. training before the Games. talent cultivation system. We have @katiejobrien Th e new women’s 400 individual Th e same question was posed to to replace the old, highly demanding “My sister just rang me: “Katie, where medley world record holder stole the young shooter Yi Siling, who claimed methods with a smarter, more scien- r u?” “Switzerland” “Oh. The cycling limelight on Saturday with a time of 4 the Games’ first gold medal in the tifi c approach,” said Sports Minister road race is about to go past your fl at. min 28.43 sec. And, by the way, she’s women’s 10m air rifl e on Saturday. Liu Peng. Guess you won’t see it!” only 16 years old. “I spent a lot of time with the team, Ye says she’s not done yet. British tennis player As quiet as any other high school but I actually practice two hours Although she’s already broken the girl, how is it possible Ye has already every day — not as much as people 400 IM world record, Ye thinks she @lolojones achieved so much? Is she another might think,” she said of her reported can still do better. “Of course I’ll product of China’s State-run factory? six-hour daily drills. “I feel like I still have room to RT the photo. Th e international media has been Still, hard work is part of the deal. improve my stroke,” Ye said. “I’ve my legs asking that same question. Time Ye hailed her teammate Sun Yang, strengthened my backstroke and look amazing.” Magazine and the (London) Guard- who claimed the 400m freestyle gold butterfl y, so I am getting better at the US hurdler Lolo Jones ian just unveiled stories highlighting on Saturday, as a major milestone for start. But I am still young and have some of the Chinese athletes’ long Chinese swimming, but she was just some more potential in my body.” roads to London.