Taiwan athlete claims record-breaking javelin gold at Universiade

2017/08/29

Taiwan’s Cheng Chao-tsun smashed the Asian record in the javelin with a gold medal-winning throw of 91.36 meters Aug. 26 at the Taipei 2017 Summer Universiade, becoming one of just 18 people to ever surpass 90 meters in the sport.
 
 The stunning throw, achieved on the athlete’s last attempt in the competition, shattered the previous Asian record set by Zhao Qinggang of mainland China by 2.21 meters. It also exceeds the Olympic record of 90.57 meters held by Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen.
 
 Cheng’s historic accomplishment saw him claim Universiade gold ahead of Germany’s Andreas Hofmann, who also broke the 90-meter barrier on his final attempt with an impressive distance of 91.07. Taiwan’s Huang Shih-feng earned bronze in the event with a throw of 86.64 meters.

 According to Cheng, becoming the first Asian athlete to top 90 meters marks the culmination of a long-held ambition. “Before my last attempt, I tried to relax and focus solely on the throw like I do in training,” he said, adding that it was doubly thrilling to achieve the goal in his home country.

 Noting that a ligament injury prevented him from competing at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Cheng said that he is grateful to his coach for aiding his recovery and pushing him to fulfill his potential. He also expressed gratitude to Chinese Taipei Athletics Association Chairman Thomas Tsai and Secretary-General Wang Ching-cheng for their support throughout his rehabilitation.

 Anders Borgstrom, Cheng’s coach, said the Taiwan track and field star works tirelessly to improve his technique, adding that their eyes are now firmly fixed on the medal podium at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

 Also adding to Taiwan’s medal haul at the Universiade were the nation’s badminton players, who earned gold in the mixed team event Aug. 25 with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over the competitors from Japan. Lee Yang and Lee Jhe-huei set Taiwan on the path to victory with a 2-0 win in the men’s doubles before Tai Tzu-ying, current world No. 1, and Wang Tzu-wei wrapped up the contest by triumphing in the women’s and men’s singles, respectively.
 
 Equally praiseworthy are the country’s roller athletes, who burnished their dominance at the Universiade by securing another two golds. Liang Hsuan-min emerged victorious Aug. 25 in the women’s speed slalom ahead of compatriot Wang Jia-wei and Russia’s Kristina Lysenko.
 
 The following day, Yang Ho-chen, one of the standout competitors of the games, claimed her fifth gold by winning the women’s roller sports marathon in a time of 1 hour, 27 minutes, 43.622 seconds. This brought Taiwan’s total medal haul in roller sports to a spectacular 10 golds, 11 silvers and two bronzes.

 As of Aug. 27, Taiwan ranked third in the overall medal count with 17 golds, 26 silvers and 20 bronzes. Japan sat atop the table with 28 golds, 19 silvers and 26 bronzes, while South Korea slipped to second with 27 golds, 18 silvers and 26 bronzes.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=10&post=120562)