22 THURSDAY MARCH 8, 2007 SPORTSCHINA CHINA DAILY INBRIEF Success MOTOR SPORTS Divers aim for top of the Worlds China launches own pays off Formula Open The inaugural China Formula Youthful Open roars off on May 1 at the for Yan, Zhuhai International Circuit, squad travels according to the organizers – the Federation of Automobile to Melbourne Zheng Sports of China and the March3 International (Beijing) Ltd. knowing only TENNIS The event, which comprises six stops, will also be held at the best will do By Zhao Rui the Beijing Golden Port Inter- national Circuit, the Shanghai By Chen Xiangfeng International Circuit and the Grand Slam champions Zheng Chengdu Golden Port Interna- Jie and Yan Zi will start the tional Circuit later this year. As China’s divers make their Pacifi c Life Open in California One Formula Renault compe- fi nal preparations for the up- today buoyed by news that they tition of the China Formula coming World Championships, ranked 12th on the Forbes 2007 Open will be held overseas, they know the pressure is on to Chinese celebrity rich list. with the city and date yet to achieve a gold medal sweep. The duo becpme the first be announced. After dominating the Doha tennis players to crack the top The event, a combination Asian Games in December, a 100 after their combined prize of Formula Renault and the young 14-member squad led money and sponsorship rev- Formula Junior, is aimed at by “diving queen” Guo Jingjing enues topped 14 million yuan providing a smooth link from will aim to repeat the success in ($1.8 million). kart racing to Formula One Melbourne, Australia. They are the third-ranked racing for Chinese drivers. Women’s 10m synchronized athletes following NBA All- Cheng Congfu, who has tested platform Olympic champion star center Yao Ming, who tops with Formula One’s MacLaren Lao Lishi has lost her place to the list with 260 million yuan team, has been named as the teenagers Jia Tong and Chen ($34 million), and 110-meter spokesman of the series. Ruolin, while in the men’s hurdles world record holder team Athens Olympic men’s Liu Xiang (58 million yuan/ BADMINTON 10m synchronized platform $7.5 million). gold medalist Yang Jinghui, They enjoy a big cushion China sweeps 4 titles at 10m platform winner Hu Jia ahead of other top-notch IBF German Open and 3m springboard star Peng athletes, including snooker Chinese shuttlers demonstrat- Bo are absent through injury. prodigy Ding Junhui, 41st on ed yet again their supremacy “We did not include some vet- the list with 4.5 million yuan as they swept four titles at the eran divers because we want to Doha Asian Games gold medalists Huo Liang and Lin Yue (front) will compete for China in 10m synchronized platform in place of ($580,000) and table tennis IBF German Open on Sunday. give a chance to the youngsters. out-of-favor star Tian Liang and injured Hu Jia at the World Championships in Melbourne, Australia. Reuters world champion Zhang Yining, China claimed men’s and wom- We are eager to see them gain 64th with an income of 3.1 mil- en’s singles, women’s doubles more experience and improve needs time to fi nd his form. Peng Minxia on the springboard. Young hopefuls lion yuan ($400,000). and mixed doubles titles, leav- their skills,” team manager is still struggling to recover from After Athens, Guo part- On the women’s platform, a Competitor However, Zheng and Yan ing men’s doubles as the sole Zhou Jihong told Titan Sports. foot and knee injuries. nered Li Ting and they won trio of teenagers will shoulder have to give 60 percent of their regret of the tournament. But Zhou dismissed specula- “But all of them have a the last world championships the nation’s expectations. None list for the prize money back to the Tennis Top seed Lin Dan won the- tion that the team heading to chance of competing in 2008,” in Montreal in a bid to give older than 16, Chen Ruolin, Jia 2007 Worlds Administrative Center. men’s fi nal against country- Melbourne has already been Zhou added. the latter more experience, Tong and Wang Xin have In last year’s breakthrough man Chen Yu, ranked seventh pencilled in for the 2008 Beijing One of the most encouraging but management has decided already proven their talent in Women season for the Chinese women’s in the world. Olympic Games. developments from the team’s to enter Li in 1m springboard international competition, and 1m springboard: Li game, the Sichuan duo won the Lin, who has been world No “I do not think the list will month-long training camp in in Melbourne. the team will be hoping they Ting, He Zi Australian Open and Wim- 1 for 22 weeks since Septem- have any effect on our selec- Jinan, Shandong Province, was It has not been decided who can cope with the pressure of 3m springboard: Guo bledon, together with another ber 28, 2006, has notched up tion of athletes to compete at the resumption of the pairing of Guo will partner in 2008, the Worlds. Jingjing, Wu Minxia four trophies at Berlin, Rabat, two titles this season after the 2008 Beijing Games. The Guo and Athens Olympic gold though the result in Melbourne The top prospect in the 3m synchronized Hertogenbosch and New Haven winning the German Open Olympic selection process just medal winning partner Wu will likely have an impact. men’s team is 20-year-old He springboard: Guo/Wu in a 47-13 season. and the South Korea Open in began this year. There is still Chong. Known for attempting 10m platform: Chen The duo lost in the semifi - January. time for other divers to prove the most difficult dives, He Ruolin, Wang Xin nal to Chinese Taipei’s Chan Xie Xingfang, Lin’s girlfriend themselves. Young or old, eve- won two Grand Prix meets last 10m synchronized plat- Yung-Jan and Chuang Chia- and women’s world No 1, has ryone has a fair chance.” year and two golds at the Doha form: Chen Ruolin/Jia Tong Jung at this year’s Australian followed the same path as Chinese divers must prove Asian Games. Open, but they are not letting Lin, winning titles at Ger- themselves in fi ve Olympic quali- In the men’s platform, Lin Men the disappointment get them man Open after rallying past fying competitions. As well as the Yue, Zhou Luxin and Huo Liang 1m springboard: He down. Germany’s Xu Huaiwen 19-21, Worlds, they have to win as many have matured rapidly in recent Chong, Luo Yutong “The Olympic Games is com- 21-12, 21-19 in the fi nal and points as possible at two national years and will take the place 3m springboard: He ing so our target on the Tour is also in the South Korean championships (2007 and 2008), of out-of-favor icon Tian Liang Chong, Qin Kai getting higher. We will try to Open. one stage of the FINA Grand Prix, and Hu Jia. 3m synchronized win the doubles’ titles in all and next year’s World Cup. At the last world champion- springboard: Wang Feng/ the tournaments we compete,” SHOOTING Zhou provided the latest news ships, Hu collected gold in the Qin Kai Zheng told China Daily last on some of the injury-hit divers. men’s 10m platform, but China 10m platform: Lin Yue, month. Olympic champion misses “Yang has not resumed train- lost the 10m synchronized plat- Zhou Luxin Joining Zheng in Indian World Cup fi nal berth ing since sustaining a shoulder form to a Russian pair. 10m synchronized Wells will be the country’s Chinese markswoman Du Li injury in 2005. Hu has just The FINA World Champion- platform: Lin Yue/Huo No 1 singles player and struggled to cope with her started training after last year’s Olympic diving champion Guo Jingjing leads a group of young ships run from March 17 to Liang 12th-seed Li Na, 30th seed new gun at the World Cup surgery on his eyes so he still divers aiming for a gold medal sweep in Melbourne. Reuters April 1st. Peng Shuai, Sun Tiantian and Series in Germany, where she Yuan Meng. failed to make today’s fi nal Li Na will face either Spain’s round. Virginia Pascual or Australian The Athens 10m air rifl e gold Nicole Pratt after a fi rst-round medalist changed to a new bye while Zheng will face off gun last month but it has Softball team reshuffl es 2008 coaching line-up with a qualifi er. disturbed her game. SOFTBALL coaching group, according to a The failure at Doha is be- has vast experience both as an China’s tennis authorities “This is a new brand and new statement issued by the sport’s lieved to have had a major im- athlete and a coach,” the state- have added pressure on the model, so I need some time to By Yu Yilei administrative center. pact on his demotion: With the ment said. players this season in a bid get used to it,” said Du. “I will Bastian will stay on with the target a gold medal, the team Bastian was the fi rst foreign to ensure they are at the top use it until June and see if it team as batting coach. lost to Chinese Taipei in the coach of China’s softball team. of their games come Beijing suits me.