Taiwan roller athletes bagged three gold and four silver medals Aug. 22 at the Taipei 2017 Summer Universiade, bringing the country’s haul in the sport to a total of seven golds and 11 silvers.
Yang Ho-chen was Taiwan’s star performer, claiming gold in the women’s 1,000-meter sprint and 15,000-meter elimination with times of 1 minute, 34.805 seconds and 26 minutes, 57.916 seconds, respectively. The silvers in both events went to compatriot Li Meng-chu.
The victories took Yang’s personal medal tally to three golds after her win a day before in the women’s 10,000-meter points-elimination category. Following her latest triumphs, she expressed her determination to keep up her impressive momentum at the Universiade and further add to Taiwan’s overall medal count.
“These successes belong not just to me, but also to my team,” Yang said. “I believe I can maintain these good performances and prove I’m a fully rounded competitor capable of winning over any distance.”
In the men’s roller sports events, Taiwan’s Huang Yu-lin won gold in the 1,000-meter sprint race with a time of 1 minute, 24.020 seconds. He was followed home by teammate Ko Fu-shiuan, who also claimed silver in the 15,000-meter elimination the same day.
Noting that he took up the sport to aid pelvic tilt rehabilitation, Huang said he feels fortunate to have been able to transcend his physical condition and achieve his ambitions. He also conveyed gratitude to his parents for their constant encouragement.
“When I first started skating, it was quite painful, but with the help of my coach, doctors and teammates I was able to surmount this discomfort,” he said. “As I crossed the finish line and saw my mother crying tears of joy, I was also overcome with emotion.”
Elsewhere at the Universiade, the largest global sporting event ever staged in the country, Taiwan’s Chiang Nien-hsin claimed bronze in the women’s 63-kilogram weightlifting with a combined total of 223 kilograms. Rim Un-sim of North Korea won gold in the category ahead of Russia’s Tima Turieva.
As of Aug. 22, Taiwan was third in the overall medal rankings with seven golds, 11 silvers and three bronzes. Japan led the way with eight golds, eight silvers and 10 bronzes, while South Korea was in second position with 10 golds, seven silvers and 10 bronzes. (CPY-E)
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