CHINA DAILY WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2012 olympics 3 Japanese too hot for China in the quarters By ASSOCIATED PRESS in London Japan outlasted China 3-2 on Tuesday to reach the semi- fi nals of women’s volleyball at the London Games, upsetting a team it had never even taken a set from at any Olympics. Many of the Chinese players burst into tears as the Japanese celebrated at Earls Court. The fifth-ranked Japanese won 28-26, 23-25, 25-23, 23-25, 18-16 and will next play the win- ner of the quarterfinal match CHRIS O’MEARA / ASSOCIATED PRESS between Russia and Brazil. Japan’s Erika Araki (5) Saori Kimura and Yukiko Eba- spikes the ball over China’s ta each scored 33 points for Japan, Yang Junjing (9) during whose fi nesse countered China’s their women’s volleyball power. Hui Ruoqi had 26 points quarterfi nal on Tuesday. Japan for China, which had beaten won 3-2. Japan in straight sets in all five round, and against Japan it was Olympic matches between the heavily wrapped. nations since the sport debuted Th e energetic Japanese team at the 1964 Tokyo Games. kept pace with China in the fi rst SERGEI GRITS / ASSOCIATED PRESS “I’m delighted to win this set, taking a 27-26 advantage on China’s Li Xiaoxia (left) hugs teammate Ding Ning after China beat Japan to win the women’s team table tennis gold at the London Olympics on Tuesday. match, although it was very Ebata’s spike before Kimura’s kill diffi cult from the beginning to for set point couldn’t be stopped the end,” Japanese captain Erika by Hui. Araki said. “It was a very close China found a rhythm mid- match.” way through the second set, A gold sweep inevitable for China Japan scored four straight pulling ahead 18-15 on Xu points to go up 5-3 in the decid- Yunli’s ace, then winning it on By ASSOCIATED PRESS It is an overwhelming favorite 28 when table tennis ends on represent the new generation, If anyone can challenge Chi- ing set and held off China until her kill. Japan won the third set in London to complete the gold sweep by Wednesday. all 24 or younger and the latest na’s women at the 2016 Olympics Wang Yimei made two straight with another Kimura spike. winning the men’s team fi nal Singapore — all three of its in a long line of famous female in Rio de Janeiro, it may be Japan. kills to put her team ahead 9-8. Th e fourth set was tight until China is one gold medal on Wednesday against the players were born in China — players. Left -handed Kasumi Ishika- Japan regained the lead and Wang’s kill set up Ma Yunwen’s away from sweeping all four in Republic of Korea. took bronze defeating the ROK Li, who won gold in singles wa is only 19, and Ai Fukuhara won on Hitomi Nakamici’s ace block to force the deciding set. table tennis. Th e victory was greeted by a 3-0. and team, is on course to match is 23 and already in her third aft er Zeng Chunlei’s dig sailed “Th eir defense was very good,” China’s women delivered quilt of China’s red and yellow China dominates in table the record of several national Olympics. Th e veteran is Saka- out to set up match point. Chinese middle blocker Yang gold No 3 on Tuesday in the fl ags in the 6,000 sellout, accom- tennis, and its women are even icons. ya Hirano, who’s 27 and in her “We were relieved at the end Junjing said. “We couldn’t follow team competition with a 3-0 panied by chants of “Jia You, Jia more overwhelming than the Zhang Yining took four gold second Olympics. Fukuhara of the match that we won,” Japan their tempo with their blocking.” victory over Japan, which You” — “Let’s Go” in Chinese men. Only three women’s teams medals in the last two Olym- started playing table tennis at coach Masayoshi Manabe said. Th e Japanese have won gold claimed silver, its first medal — as the women came through. in the Olympics played without pics. Wang Nan won her fourth 3, and is one of Japan’s best- Wang, a 1.90 meter tall wing twice in volleyball, but their of any color in table tennis at Table tennis, called ping- China-born players, or play- gold in three Olympics — 2000, known female athletes along spiker known for her powerful most recent was in 1976. China the Olympics since the sport pong back home, is China’s ers with roots in China — the 2004 and 2008. And Deng Yap- with soccer star Homare Sawa. jumper serve, had 22 points for has won the gold three times, entered in 1988. national pastime, and the Democratic People’s Republic of ing started the string with four Japan’s women defeated Chi- China, which was ranked third. most recently at the 2004 Ath- China won two golds and country has now won 23 of 27 Korea, Japan and Egypt. in 1992 and 1996, and went na in the fi nal of the 2010 world Coming off surgery on her right ens Games. The Chinese won two silver medals in singles and gold medals since ’88, and is Th e winning team of Li Xia- on to be one of the faces of the junior championship, a team ankle, Wang had problems with bronze on home soil at the Bei- now has gold in women’s team. almost certain to make it 24 of oxia, Ding Ning and Guo Yue 2008 Beijing Olympics. led by Ishikawa. the injury in the preliminary jing Games..