SPORT Sunday 26 August 2018 PAGE | 14 PAGE | 15 Stephens braces Hamilton snatches for US Open Spa pole in rain-hit title defence qualifying Haroun, Qatar’s Fares clinches silver in Ogunode qualify for weightlifting at Asian Games finals ARMSTRONG VAS AFP ahead of the Olympic qualifying cycle beginning at November’s THE PENINSULA JAKARTA: Qatar’s Fares Elbakh World Championships. won silver medal in the men’s Moradi already owned the DOHA: Qatar’s medal hopes 94kg class weightlifting at the marks for the clean and jerk Abdalelah Haroun qualified Asian Games yesterday. (233kg) and total weight (417kg) for the final of the 400m with Elbakh came second on in the men’s light heavyweight a time of 45.83 while Tosin 381kg and proved a fans’ division which he set at the World Ogunode another medal hope favourite as he was surrounded Championships in Anaheim last also made to the final stage by a huge crowd of fans and year. in the 100m. posed for pictures with them “I really wanted to break the Ogunode, finished third after the medals ceremony. world record as it was the only overall in the Men’s 100m “This is great. I love all my one I didn’t have and this was my qualifying. fans,” he beamed. “I’m having a last chance,” Moradi said. Mohamed Abbas also great time.” “I feel very happy to know qualified for the Men’s 400m It was Qatar’s first weight- that my name will always remain final after finishing in the lifting medal of the Games and on all the 94kg world records,” ninth place with a time of came after Iran’s other great lifter added the man who has always 46.33 in the competition, 85kg world claimed he is 100 percent clean Elsewhere, Mahamat record-holder Kianoush Rostami, and has said it was a complete Hamdi cleared a mark of 2.15 failed three times to clean and mystery how the methadone got in the high jump and qualified jerk 220kg. into his sample. for the next stage. “I expected I could win a He will now step up to the Gold medallist Sohrab Moradi of Iran, silver medallist Fares Elbakh of Qatar and bronze winner Sarat In Women’s Hammer medal but didn’t think it would new 96kg class. “My next goal is Sumpradit of Thailand pose on the podium during the 2018 Asian Games Men’s 94kg Medal Ceremony Throw Rania Al Naji finished be silver,” Elbakh said. the World Championships (in at the Jakarta International Expo Kemayoran, Jakarta, Indonesia, yesterday. in the ninth place with a mark This is the second medal in November) and after that to put of 29.62 Qatar in the competition, fol- on a good show at the 2020 without a medal, leaving Elbakh he went down to Kyrgyzstan’s Games he has taken part so far, Qatar’s Mohamed Al lowing Hamad Al Marri’s bronze Tokyo Olympics.” grateful. Adilet 5-0. finished the day in the ninth Mannai took part in the Men’s in the double trap. Moradi just failed with an Moradi said he felt sorry for In Shooting, 2012 London place. Decathlon competing in Sohrab Moradi of Iran broke attempt at 234kg which would his compatriot. “We trained Games bronze medal winner One place above him is 100m, Long jump, Shot put weightlifting’s longest standing have bettered his own world together and Kianoush was with Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah began Rashid Al Athba with a score of and High jump. world record on his way to gold records for the clean and jerk and me on the podium at 85kg many his campaign in the qualifying 73. In high jump of Decathlon in the men’s 94kg class. total lifts. times. I hope we can both be rounds of the skeet competition Elsewhere, Sarah Mohammed he finsihed fifth while in all Moradi hoisted 189kg in the But he did have the conso- together again in the medals at by shooting down 72 of the 75 finished in the eight place on day other events he took the eight competition’s opening discipline lation of a new Asian Games 96kg.” targets in the opening day of one of qualifying, while sister place. to better the snatch record set at record total of 410kg -- smashing Sumpradit Sarat won Thai- qualifying. Hajar Mohammed was in the 17th China’s Su Bingtian eased 188kg in 1999 by Greece’s the long-standing mark of 400kg land’s fifth weightlifting The two-time Dakar Rally spot. through the 100 metres heats Akakios Kakiasvilis. set by Bakytbek Ahtemov of bronze of these Games. They winner who is looking to pick up The final qualifying rounds to remain on course to Moradi, who was suspended Kazakhstan in Busan 2002 -- also won a silver in the his first individual gold from the and medal shootouts will take become the continent’s for two years in 2013 for testing after a clean and jerk of 221kg. women’s 58kg through Asian Games having won three place today in both the skeet fastest man as athletics got off positive for banned painkiller Iran’s other great lifter in the Srisurat Sukanya. gold in team events in the five events for mean and women. to a controversial start at the methadone, but returned to win competition, 85kg world record- Meanwhile Asian Games on Saturday. Olympic gold in Rio, now has a holder Rostami, failed three times Qatar’s beach vol- In June Su became the complete set of 94kg world to clean and jerk 220kg. leyball team defeated first Asian-born sprinter to records that will remain on the Kianoush was stepping up Iran 2-1 and qualified run the distance in under 10 books forever. to 94kg from 85kg for these for the semi-final. seconds when twice in the After the Asian Games all the Games and despite lying second Today they will face space of eight days he clocked sport’s weight classes will change after the snatch he went home China in the last four 9.91 to match the Asian clash. In basketball, record held by Qatar’s Qatar lost thel lost Nigerian-born Femi Group C match to Ogunode. Chinese Taipei 83-70. He got off to a poor start In karate, Adham in Jakarta but his 10.27 was Hashem of Qatar lost enough to sail through, while in the quarter-finals. Taiwanese Yang Chun-han In the Men’s Kata, topped the times in the heats Adham defeated with 10.13. The loudest cheers Nepal’s Bastola in the were reserved for local hope pre-quarterfinals 5-0 Lalu Muhammad Zohri, who but lost to Japan’s Ryo matched Su’s time in his heat. 5-0 in the The Indonesian teenager quarter-finals. will carry the nation’s hopes In Kumite – Men’s after his triumph at the +84kg, Khalid Has- under-20 world champion- Qatar’s Fares Rania Alnaji of Qatar competes in the 2018 Asian Games Women’s Hammer sanein of Qatar lost in ships in Finland last month Elbakh Throw final at the GBK Main Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia, yesterday. the last eight stage as when he clocked 10.18. Qatari Team win silver in World Paralympic Military Championships Qatar team, which won the free jump and Paramotor event to clinch a silver medal at the end of the 42nd World Paralympic Military Qatar’s Hamad Al Marri winner of the bronze medal in the double Championships pose for a picture with officials. The event held in the Hungarian city of Szolnok saw 38 countries taking part. Qatar trap shooting event accorded a welcome at the Hamad International finished behind Belgium, Swiss team took the bronze medal. Airport on Friday night. 14 SPORT SUNDAY 26 AUGUST 2018 Stephens braces for Return of big names US Open title defence bolsters men’s draw REUTERS NEW YORK: Sloane Stephens has a new swagger in her step since winning REUTERS I’m going to do whatever last year’s US Open but now faces the challenge of showing it in the New I can to make sure that NEW YORK: The return to form and York spotlight as she gets set to defend I’m prepared, in the best fitness of a host of big names in the a grand slam title for the first time in shape possible, hopefully men’s draw at the US Open has her career. strengthened the field for the year’s final “I think there is a lot of pressure. playing some good tennis Grand Slam but Rafa Nadal, Novak I’ve never done it before. A lot of other by the time the US Open Djokovic and Roger Federer are still the people have. First go around some- comes around: Sloane favourites for the title. times isn’t that great,” said the Stephens The trio have dominated the highest 25-year-old American baseliner. level of the sport for years and Djoko- “I’m going to do whatever I can to vic’s victory at Wimbledon, combined make sure that I’m prepared, in the February this year but she has since with an impressive hard court season, best shape possible, hopefully playing picked up a title in Miami, reached the sees him edge defending champion some good tennis by the time the US French Open final and is a career-high Nadal as the bookmakers’ pick to Open comes around.” third in the world rankings. succeed at Flushing Meadows.