CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Monday, July 26, 2021 | 19 SPORTS Lu-vely execution FENCING Sun’s joy tinged by ill father’s fight By CHINA DAILY China’s Sun Yiwen shed a small tear of pride while the national anthem played after making history in the fencing competition at the Tokyo Olympics. Later, she wept tears of sadness as she told reporters of her father’s ill health back home. The 29-year-old Sun on Saturday won China’s first Olympic women’s individual epee title by beating Romania’s Ana Maria Popescu in overtime in the final. Asked about her dad’s condition Sun Yiwen shows off her gold in the post-match media confer- medal on Saturday. XINHUA ence, Sun covered her face as she welled up with emotion, much to the confusion of bronze medalist sent the bout to overtime to leave Katrina Lehis of Estonia, who sat Sun’s dream hanging in the balance. next to her. Sun had suffered overtime heart- “This question is a little bit per- ache at the last Olympics in Rio, sonal, maybe I can’t answer,” said where, leading 11-7 in her semifinal, Sun, before composing herself to she let her advantage slip and even- open up about the situation. tually had to settle for bronze. China's Lu Yufei performs on the uneven bars during qualification for the women’s artistic gymnastics event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic “Only a month ago, the hospital “When I had to face the overtime, Games at Ariake Gymnastics Center in the Japanese capital on Sunday. AFP issued a critically ill notice, he’s get- I told myself it’s OK and I can get the ting treatment in Beijing and he’s match-winning point,” said Sun. very sick. “I try not to think too much about “On the one hand, I have my love the results, I just do as I have prac- SWIMMING for my father. On the other hand, I ticed so many times. So I did my best wanted to do my country proud and to stay calm and thankfully I won compete. the game.” “The doctor said maybe he has 10 News of Sun’s gold medal quickly days or at most a couple of months became trending news on social left. I’m very afraid I won’t see him media, before her emotional news Tunisian teenager makes alive again, because when I go home conference endeared her even more I will have to quarantine once more, to netizens. but I am on my own mission.” True to her bubbly nature, Sun Sun later confirmed with Chinese happily accepted interviews in the media that her father’s condition immediate aftermath of her victory, had stabilized. telling reporters about her “lottery “My whole family is trying to stay mascot”. major splash in Tokyo positive,” she said. “I am a lucky girl,” she said. “My At one stage during her closely friend likes to buy lottery tickets, fought final against Popescu, it and she can always win with me but Unheralded Hafnaoui delivers huge looked as if Sun might let victory can’t win by herself!” slip from her grasp. Sun, who helped China win team shock to claim 400m freestyle gold With just 12 seconds left on the epee silver at the Rio Olympics, add- clock, she moved into a one-point ed: “I am very happy. After waiting TOKYO — Nobody was watching naoui, Smith said, “Absolutely lead to edge closer to glory. Howev- five years I finally got my hands on Ahmed Hafnaoui in lane eight of nothing.” er, a last-gasp stab by the Romanian the gold medal.” the Olympic pool. Hafnaoui made sure he’ll be All eyes were on the Tunisian remembered with a performance teenager at the finish. that boosted his resume considera- PANDEMIC Hafnaoui was the stunning win- bly. ner of the 400-meter freestyle at the He joined Ous Mellouli as the Tokyo Games on Sunday, beating a only Tunisians to win a gold in field of faster and older swimmers. swimming. Mellouli won the 1,500 Mask policy clarified The 18-year-old finished in 3 min- freestyle at the 2008 Beijing Games, utes, 43.26 seconds, punctuating one of his three career Olympic his victory with loud yelling that medals. He reached out with a amid podium confusion echoed in the mostly empty 15,000- good-luck message to the teenager Tunisia’s Ahmed Hafnaoui celebrates after winning the final of the seat arena. before the race. men’s 400m freestyle during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics at the TOKYO — Athletes must wear also removed his mask. “I believe when I touched the “I wish to be like him one day,” Tokyo Aquatics Center on Sunday. AFP masks at all Tokyo Olympic Games “The swimmers in the venue this wall and I saw myself first,” he said. Hafnaoui said. venues, including medal ceremo- morning followed instructions “I was so surprised.” The teen, who trains in the capi- nies, the International Olympic which they were given by the proto- Australia’s Jack McLoughlin tal city Tunis, is the North Africa him in a local club. and looked destined for gold until Committee said on Sunday, but col team,” an IOC spokesperson said. (3:43.52) earned silver and Ameri- country’s fourth Olympic gold med- Three years ago, in the same Hafnaoui’s surge to the finish out in under a new policy they are briefly “These instructions were in line can Kieran Smith (3:43.94) took alist. He’s the second-youngest ath- event, Hafnaoui finished eighth at lane eight. allowed to remove them on the with a new policy which is in the pro- bronze. The top three were separat- lete from an African nation to win a the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires. McLoughlin was asked if he was podium for a photo opportunity. cess of being communicated to all.” ed by less than a second after the swimming gold; Joan Harrison of He said in 2019 he was targeting a surprised by Hafnaoui’s stunning Masks are mandatory across all Team Australia also said its ath- eight-lap race. South Africa was 16 when she won senior Olympic gold in Paris in 2024. performance. “A little bit,” he said. venues, both inside and outside, for letes had done nothing wrong. “When I hit the water, I was just the 100 backstroke at the 1952 Hel- “I just can’t believe it, it’s amaz- “It’s the Olympic Games. You see all all athletes, staff and media, as part “Our athletes were simply follow- thinking about the medal, not the sinki Games. ing. I felt better in the water this these predictions but anything can of Games organizers’ strict meas- ing the direction of the official at the time,” Hafnaoui said. Standing on the podium, his morning than yesterday and that’s happen. Ahmed coming out and ures to combat the coronavirus. podium, who holds up a sign saying He squeaked into the final by coach furiously pumping his arms in it. I’m the Olympic champion now,” doing a huge PB that’s amazing and “It’s not a nice (rule) to have. It’s a masks off briefly for the photo- 14-hundredths of a second, landing triumph in the stands, the moment he said. credit to him. must (rule) to have,” said IOC graphs,” a Team Australia official him in the far outside lane. The was overwhelming for Hafnaoui. “I just put my head in the water “Anything can happen and you spokesman Mark Adams. said. fastest qualifiers were in the middle “I was in tears because when I see and that’s it. I just can’t believe it. have these stories out there and “No, there is no relaxation and we All 12 athletes from Australia, of the pool, without the ability to the flag of my country and I hear the It’s a dream come true.” Ahmed is one of those stories now.” would urge and ask everyone to Canada and the United States on the track Hafnaoui during the race. anthem in the background, it was “The best people are the ones Hafnaoui has another chance to obey the rules,” Adams added. “It’s podium for the women’s 4x100 free- Hafnaoui’s winning time was great,” he said. “I’m so proud of it. I who can come up and swim their pull off a surprise when he com- important for the sports, for every- style relay ceremony were mask- almost three seconds faster than dedicate it to all the Tunisian people.” best times at the Olympic Games,” petes in the 800 free on Thursday. one involved and for our Japanese less, smiling to photographers. his previous best before Tokyo and Hafnaoui started swimming in McLoughlin said. Next year, he said he plans to attend friends and it would send a strong The Olympic teams of Kyrgyzstan 2.32 sec quicker than his perform- Tunisia aged 6 when his father Australia’s Elijah Winnington led college in the US. message.” and Tajikistan had paraded mostly ance in the heats. Mohamed, a former member of the through 100m but McLoughlin But athletes can briefly take mask-less through the National Sta- Asked what he knew about Haf- national basketball team, enrolled hauled him in by the 200m mark AGENCIES masks off on the podium for 30 sec- dium at Friday’s opening ceremony, onds for a photo opportunity, the making an awkward contrast with IOC said.