ROC continues medal streak at Asian Games

2014-10-02

Taiwan athletes continued their medal streak at the Asian Games, adding a gold, silver and bronze medal to the nation’s tally Sept. 30 in Incheon, South Korea.

Huang Yun-wen, 19, claimed a taekwondo gold in the women’s 53-kilogram class, defeating South Korean Yoon Jeong-yeon 4-2 in the three-round bout. Huang took an early lead, scoring a three-point kick to the head in the first round, then held out against her more experienced opponent to win Taiwan’s eighth gold.

“It felt surreal. I still could not believe it when I stood atop the podium,” Huang said. “But it was sweet revenge, for I lost to Yoon at the 2014 Asian Taekwondo Championships in May. It was an honor to fight such a worthy opponent.”

Sun Nuei-ning took bronze in the women’s 49-kilogram division, ending her run after yielding to eventual gold medalist Chanatip Sonkham of Thailand 3-4 in the semifinal. Sun’s three-point lead going into the last round was eroded by a three-point head kick and a penalty point.

On the tennis court, top seed Lu Yen-hsun captured silver in men’s singles, becoming the first Taiwan athlete to win a medal in this category at the games. The 31-year-old veteran, suffering from a groin injury throughout the tournament, succumbed to Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka in straight sets.

The pressure from the Association of Tennis Professionals over simultaneous attendance at the China Open had taken its toll on Lu as well, but he refused to lay the blame on mental and physical stress.

“I would like to congratulate Nishioka on playing such a beautiful game. And I want to extend my gratitude to everyone for standing by my side along the way,” Lu said. “It proved to be an unforgettable memory in the end. I will continue to play for Taiwan and do my best to honor the nation.”

As of Sept. 30, Taiwan was seventh in the medal standings with eight golds, eight silvers and 14 bronzes.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=222300&CtNode=413)