Sports / Game News |
Japan sweeps both golds at winter Asiad snowboard event(Xinhua)Updated: 2007-01-31 09:00
Japan completed a great showtime in snowboard events of the Asian Winter Games by claiming both gold medals on offer at the Beidahu ski resort on Tuesday. Kokubo Kazuhiro took the men's halfpipe title on Tuesday while Shiho Nakashima led the Japanese 1-2 finish in the women's halfpipe on Monday. The competition, with an entry of 26 skiers from seven countries and regions, was in fact a tale of Japan and China. Chinese Shi Wancheng shattered Japan's supremacy a little bit in the sport as the 17-year-old youngster, who scored just 20.70 points in the men's qualification, won the silver with 42.0 points at last, forcing another Japanese medal hopeful Daisuke Murakami to the third place. "The qualification jump was depressing, but my coach told me to stay calm," Shi said of the early wobble at the press conference. In women's part, Japanese had no trouble finishing one-two, with Nakashima's teammate Yamaoka Soko in second place. Japan only sent two skiers apiece for the men's and women's events, signaling their confidence in enclosing the top honor. "Chinese are getting underway in snowboard but they still need to improve in skills and competing experience," said Jibu Tadashige, team leader of the Japanese snowboard squad, adding that the Chinese athletes are too young. "China will be the main threat given the best conditions."
|
|