Month: August 2019

China’s top sprinter rounding into form after returning from back injury

Now you see him, now you don’t.

China’s top sprinter Su Bingtian has the ability to run the 100m faster than his personal best of 9.91 seconds, said his coach Randall Huntington at the national trials on the weekend.

The 29-year-old Su twice ran 9.91 last summer to equal the Asian record, setting another career milestone after becoming the first Chinese to break the 10-second barrier in Eugene, Oregon, in 2015.

But Huntington, former coach of long jump world-record holder Mike Powell, is confident his protege can run even faster.

“Su’s ability shows he can run faster than 9.91. I’m not going to predict whether he will or won’t, because it’s all going to depend on what he does in that particular race. Right now the elements are coming together for him to run faster… but it’s going to take more races,” said Huntington, who joined Su’s coaching team in late 2017.

In his first race since being sidelined with a back injury in May, Su, who secured a berth at the upcoming IAAF World Championships in Doha before the two-day national trials, clocked 10.19 to finish second to Xie Zhenye in Friday night’s 100m final.

Xie, who set an Asian men’s record in the 200 by clocking 19.88 at an IAAF Diamond League meet in London last month, overtook Su in the final stretch to win in 10.03. “Su’s start was top notch, so I needed to make up for my disadvantage at the start with better acceleration in the latter half,” said 25-year-old Xie.

Su was satisfied with his finish, saying: “I haven’t competed for a while so I need time to adjust. The first half of the race was fine, but when Xie caught up with me, it was like the Asian Games all over again. I was in better form, but tonight my body felt a bit stiff.

“I don’t think the long break from competition will affect me much, but I do need more races.”

Huntington said it will take time for Su to readjust to competition.

“While we were training in Switzerland we went to Roger Federer’s doctor, who is a back specialist. He did an incredible job,” said the American.

“This race was a test event because we’ve been working on many technical aspects of Su’s 100.It was his first opportunity to actually get out and try some of those things,” added the coach.

Su will turn 30 this month, but Huntington believes he still “has plenty of gas in the tank”.

“He’s not that old. He’ll be 30 at the end of the month. Look at (Justin) Gatlin, look at Carl Lewis. Those guys raced until their late thirties,” he said.

Gatlin stunned Jamaican legend Usain Bolt in the 100m final to be crowned 2017 world champion at age 35 while Lewis retired at 36 with nine Olympic gold medals and eight world titles.

“Su has plenty of gas in the tank to get him to Tokyo, and I’m not killing him in training. His body is not getting beat up,” said Huntington.

Happy hurdler

Meanwhile, after breezing to a convincing victory at the national qualifiers, 110m hurdler Xie Wenjun will be gunning for his first top-eight finish at the worlds in Doha.

“Making it to the final at the world championships has always been my goal and this time I will be pursuing it with greater confidence,” said the world No 3 after clocking 13.43 sec at Shenyang Olympic Stadium.

“My coach did not set any goal for today’s race, so I was competing with entirely no pressure.”

The 29-year-old Shanghai native has had an impressive season, twice improving his personal best to 13.17 and claiming the title at the London leg of the IAAF Diamond League last month.

“I have learned a lot from elite hurdlers like Sergey Shubenkov and Omar McLeod while competing against them,” said Xie.

“Beating them at a Diamond League event is really a boost of confidence for me. I started to train under the guidance of my current coach (Rana Reider) last year and he has helped me to change a lot both mentally and in terms of techniques. That’s the secret of my progress.”

Xie failed to pass the preliminary round at the Moscow worlds in 2013 and was eliminated in the semifinal phase at the 2015 and 2017 editions in Beijing and London.

XINHUA in Shenyang

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The Toffees are running out of time to agree a deal for the Ivory Coast international, although the Monaco full-back is due to arrive on loan

Everton have seen a £70 million ($85m) bid, plus the inclusion of Cenk Tosun and James McCarthy, for Wilfried Zaha rejected by Crystal Palace.

The Toffees have emerged as the front-runners to land the Ivory Coast international, with Arsenal having effectively ended their interest following the club-record signing of Nicolas Pepe from Lille.

Zaha had been keen on joining the Gunners, the team he supported as a child, although the money is not available to fund a move for the player, with Palace having been demanding £80m ($97m).

That could see Everton nip in before the transfer window closes at 5pm BST (12pm ET) on Thursday, August 8, although sources have told Goal that the Merseysiders’ hopes of landing the winger are fading as the clock ticks on.

Despite Palace’s reluctance to entertain the inclusion of players in any deal for Zaha at this stage, Roy Hodgson’s side have agreed a separate £8m ($10m) deal to take McCarthy to Selhurst Park.

The Republic of Ireland international is due to undergo a medical on Wednesday and will sign a three-year contract with the London club.

While it’s proving a struggle to agree a deal to bring in Zaha, Everton are closer to securing the signing of Monaco right-back Djibril Sidibe.

The 27-year-old, who won the Ligue 1 title with the club in 2017, is due to arrive in a loan deal as Marco Silva adds to his options in that area of the pitch.

The Toffees boss does, however, still want to improve his forward line before the transfer window closes, while a new centre-back is also on the wishlist.

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Indeed, the Blues will not be able to rely on the services of Kurt Zouma after his loan spell from Chelsea ended, while Phil Jagielka left on a free transfer to leave Michael Keane, Yerry Mina and Mason Holgate as the only recognised first-team central defenders.

The addition of an attacking player is also seen as important, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin yet to have established himself as the club’s No.1 striker and Richarlison’s best position being in support of the front man.

Turkey international Tosun is up for sale, while Moise Kean, who has been brought in from Juventus, could well start the season as the Toffees’ main striker although he may need time to adapt to the Premier League.

Everton get their league campaign underway on August 10 as, somewhat coincidentally, they face Hodgson’s Palace at Selhurst Park.

The former Gunners striker has been left angered by the defender’s actions after completing his switch to the Ligue 1 side

Arsenal legend Ian Wright has claimed Laurent Koscielny “should be ashamed” after his move to Bordeaux was announced with the Frenchman throwing off a Gunners shirt.

The club’s former captain  sealed a return to Ligue 1 on Tuesday, having refused to travel on the Premier League club’s pre-season tour.

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The nature of the transfer had already upset many Arsenal fans before a social media video prompted further outrage on the day of his switch.

A clip, shared by Bordeaux, showed Koscielny taking off his Arsenal shirt to reveal his new club’s top underneath.

Wright was among those unimpressed, posting on Twitter : “This hurts. The level of disrespect. You should be ashamed for the way you’ve left the club after nine years!

“Got what you wanted and still trying to have a dig. Hope it’s worth it in the long run.”

Meanwhile, Koscielny sought to explain his exit to Arsenal fans on his Instagram page.

“As you know, I engaged with Bordeaux,” he wrote. “After nine years spent at Arsenal, I took the decision to leave.

“I have spent wonderful years with this club, nine years during which I learned, evolved, grew up. This experience made me the player I am today.

“My decision to leave has been discussed for months with my club, my team-mates, my coach, and it has been a well-thought decision.

“I see this departure like a new turning point in my life as a player but also in in my life as a man and a family man.

“However, I hope you understand, and in any case, I cannot be thankful enough for these years past at Arsenal. I am aware of everything that the club and you supporters have brought to me.

“But it is time for me to go home, so today my will is to join Bordeaux. This is a new challenge that I count on taking with determination.”

Arsenal are looking to sign a new centre-back in the final two days of the transfer window, with Goal revealing that RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano is one of those under consideration.

The playmaker speaks exclusively to DAZN about the unique shooting style that has become his trademark at the Emirates

It’s two apiece at the Emirates after a scintillating comeback by Arsenal.

Just three minutes ago Arsene Wenger’s side were trailing Liverpool 2-0 and had looked down and out after Mohamed Salah’s breakaway goal.

But the hosts have turned the game on its head, first through an Alexis Sanchez header and then thanks to a Granit Xhaka thunderbolt.

A stadium that had been near silent, aside from 3,000 ecstatic Liverpool fans, was now rocking – and things were about to get even better.

A neat combination between Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette set the German free and as Simon Mignolet came out to meet him, Arsenal’s playmaker lifted the ball over the keeper and into the net. Delirium!

That goal, which was scored in 2017, has been watched time and time again by Arsenal fans during the past two years. And it’s a goal that needs to be watched more than once to truly understand the artistry behind the finish.

Most would have opted for a dinked lob over the onrushing keeper, but not Ozil. Instead he chopped down on the ball as Mignolet rushed out to meet him, directing it into the ground so that it purposely bounced over the Belgium international and into the net.

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On first glance you would perhaps think that it was a fluke, a miskick even, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

That is made clear by the fact that the goal against Liverpool wasn’t a one-off, it was just one of several that Ozil has scored in recent years with that same trademark finish.

We saw it again last season, against Bournemouth and most recently against Crystal Palace – we’ve even seen the 30-year-old take penalties in the same unique way on the training ground.

And if you go back to Euro 2012, you will find Ozil outrageously using the technique to dissect two Denmark players to pick out his international team-mate Sami Khedira with a pass.

The skill is so unique to the Arsenal man that it has now become known as ’the Ozil chop’.

But what is the science behind it and why, when any normal footballer would try to just lift the ball over a keeper, does Arsenal’s creator in chief often buck the trend when he goes through one on one?

DAZN spoke exclusively to the 30-year-old to find out.

“As a player you always want to try and discover new things,” said Ozil. “So if I think of something new I want to try it on the pitch and see how it works.

“It’s always been the case that I’ve scored goals like that in training, but in games I just shot normally.

“But I’ve noticed that sometimes it’s easier for me to score this way because the goalkeeper has already come out at you and if you try a chip, maybe a recovering defender can reach the ball before it crosses the line.

“So with this technique you kind of eliminate that because you hit the ball harder, it then travels faster and it’s harder to stop.”

Ozil grew up honing his skills on the streets of Gelsenkirchen.

He would play street football, usually against children who were far older and larger than he was. But his outrageous talent got him through and helped him bridge that physical gap.

So was the ‘chop finish’ something he first thought of back then on the streets as a teenager?

“If I’d tried that shot on the concrete I would have ended up breaking my knee,” he joked.

“It would have been a lot harder then, but now you play on these amazing pitches it’s a lot easier.

“I think the people like seeing it, my team-mates do in training as well. If I score a goal in training that way they all celebrate so I think it’s just a nice shot that people like.”

The defender was giving nothing away as he insists it is up to the Brazilian to let the world know if he wants a move back to the Spanish giants

Gerard Pique says any news on Neymar’s intention to move back to Barcelona will have to come from the Paris Saint-Germain star himself rather than his former team-mates.

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The Brazilian has been consistently linked with a move back to the Spanish giants this summer, with Brazil star Neymar keen to leave Paris just two years on from his world-record €222 million (£200m/$249m) move from Barca.

The Catalans remain the frontrunners to land their former star, and the latest reports have suggested they could try to strike a loan deal including the option to buy next summer as the club looks to offset the cost without having to offload first-team players. 

At the presentation of new signing Junior Firpo on Sunday, club president Josep Maria Bartomeu said more arrivals could be on the way between now and the end of the Spanish transfer window on September 2, leading many to believe he was hinting at a move for the 27-year-old. 

Jordi Cardoner, the vice president of the La Liga champions, tried to downplay the links, saying that a move for Neymar was “ruled out” at this time. 

And while Barcelona have made it clear that they believe Neymar is unhappy with PSG, Pique says his friends on the Spanish side will not be offering any private information about his intentions of making another move. 

“Of course I talk to him, but he has to be the one to speak out,” Pique told a press conference ahead of Barca’s friendly with Napoli.

“We have private conversations and I don’t think it’s correct to talk about them here.

“He’s a star on and off the pitch. We hope something will happen.

“He is a great player, who knows the dressing room, the city and the club.

“I am convinced that there are many people [at the club] who were very happy with his output.

“I know that it would be a very complicated operation, that he plays for PSG and that we have a great squad that can challenge for every trophy.

“You already know about my relationship with Ney and we would be happy to have him here [but] he plays for PSG and my opinion doesn’t change anything.”

Neymar watched from the stands as Kylian Mbappe and Angel Di Maria scored to help PSG come from behind to beat Rennes 2-1, claiming the Trophee des Champions in Shenzhen on Saturday. 

While he did not play, the attacker was seen laughing and joking with team-mates after being pulled into the on-pitch celebrations by Marco Verratti. 

Neymar was slow to return to training following ankle injury sustained in Brazil’s friendly win over Qatar in June, which saw him miss their Copa America triumph on home soil, with the Brazilian having only started his preparations for the new season last week.  

Legislative measures will be taken to protect the largest traditional village cluster in eastern China’s Zhejiang province, local authorities said Monday.

The regulation of Lishui city on traditional village protection was approved by the Standing Committee of the Zhejiang Provincial People’s Congress on Friday to set up a traditional village protection zone which consists of the core protection area and the construction-prohibited area.

The regulation will be implemented on Nov 11.

Traditional villages, also known as ancient villages, often have a long history and boast abundant cultural and natural resources. These villages are of great value for protection.

Lishui boasts the largest traditional village cluster in eastern China, with 158 traditional villages, accounting for 39.4 percent of the total in Zhejiang province.

As traditional architecture is a core element in preservation and utilization of traditional villages, the regulation also makes a list to clarify the standards and bottom lines of reconstruction and renovation of the architecture, corresponding responsibilities and prohibited acts.

According to the regulation, villagers are encouraged to inhabit the original site of the villages, and rural tourism, agricultural production and processing, tradition showcase, educational training and modern service industries are also encouraged in these villages in order to promote the protection, inheritance and dissemination of local traditional culture.

A national survey in 2012 showed the vast majority of traditional villages were disappearing into China’s urbanization vortex, which has taken tens of millions of farmers to the cities. From then on, the effort to protect traditional villages has risen to national attention.

MILTON KEYNES, England — Hinako Shibuno of Japan won the Women’s British Open on Sunday in her major championship debut, holing an 18-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a one-stroke victory over Lizette Salas.

The 20-year-old Shibuno, a rookie on the Japan LPGA Tour who was making her LPGA Tour debut, birdied five of the final nine holes for a 4-under 68 and an 18-under 270 total at Woburn Golf Club.

Largely unknown before the championship, Shibuno — nicknamed “Smiling Cinderella” — started the round with a two-stroke lead, but lost it with a double bogey on the par-4 third. She birdied Nos. 5 and 7 before a bogey on the eighth.

She birdied Nos. 10-12, all par 4s, added another on the par-5 15th and closed with the winner on the par-4 18th.

Salas finished with a 65.

Jin Young Ko, who was seeking her third major title of the year after winning the Evian Championship last week in France, was two shots back after a bogey-free 66. Morgan Pressel (67) was fourth at 15 under.

AP

Learning martial arts can help children develop more meaningful habits by diminishing their addiction to modern electronic devices, Chinese kung fu star Bruce Leung Siu-lung said on Saturday.

“Practicing Chinese kung fu not only gives you the ability to learn the combat skills and techniques, but also keeps you healthier physically and mentally,” says Leung, who appeared in many Hong Kong martial arts movies throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

Leung, who was in the Bay Area to attend the Eagle Claw Cup International Wushu (Kung Fu) Invitational Tournament held in Union City, expressed concern about mobile phone addiction among young people. He says they spend too much time online, leaving them lost in real life.

“There are a lot of children who are spoiled by their parents and lack independence in real life, and there are some who struggle to face setbacks and even commit suicide,” he says.

Leung says he is happy to see many foreign people practicing kung fu in China, some of whom speak Chinese fluently.

“This indicates they are devoting their enthusiasm and energy to Chinese traditional culture.

“Chinese kung fu is more than just a set of skills and techniques. It is full of profound Chinese philosophy and core values, which focus on the spirit of love, kindness, tolerance, perseverance and strong will,” says the 71-year-old, who had retired from acting in the late 1980s, but returned to the screen with Kung Fu Hustle in 2004.

Leung says he is encouraged to see kung fu heritage becoming more popular in the United States, reflected by the large number of kung fu fans at the Union City tournament.

More than 400 athletes competed in Saturday’s event.

Jennifer Dvorak, an employee with a tech company in San Francisco, says she has practiced kung fu for about two years at the Lily Lau Eagle Claw Kung Fu School in Millbrae, about 25 kilometers south of San Francisco.

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“I got to sweat out all of the negative stuff and just train really hard. That’s a good feeling,” she says.

Dvorak, who moved from North Dakota to San Francisco, says she finds traditional kung fu fascinating.

“It’s interesting to learn about the values in the culture and the philosophy behind it and the history that is passed down from my master’s father and seven more generations before that,” she adds, referring to the family of grandmaster Lily Lau, an eighth generation grandmaster of Eagle Claw Chinese martial arts.

“Practicing kung fu is good for keeping you in shape and healthy,” she says, noting that it is a good way to learn to “clear your mind”.

“To learn kung fu is also very empowering, especially as a woman. I feel like I would be able to defend myself if I were under attack,” Dvorak explains.

Michael Hammond, a visual art worker and part-time instructor at a kung fu school in Washington D.C., says he has practiced martial arts for more than 16 years and is inspired by Bruce Lee movies.

“Chinese kung fu is something you can practice for your whole life. It’s very rewarding. I’m never bored and I’m always learning new things,” he says.

He also expresses worries that people nowadays have become less active and energetic as a result of modern life, something that kung fu can change.

“Modern conveniences make people a little bit more lazy,” he says.

29 die over weekend as gunmen spray bullets in Texas and Ohio; Trump to address on Monday

The issue of gun violence was thrust again into the American political arena, as authorities attempted to explain two mass shootings over the weekend in which 29 people were killed in Texas and Ohio.

Democratic leaders urged Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to hold an emergency session to debate gun control legislation after lawmakers left Washington a few days ago for a five-week recess. Republicans and some moderate Democrats have resisted placing additional restrictions on gun ownership.

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Nine people were killed by a gunman early Sunday in Dayton, Ohio, while 20 were killed at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, on Saturday morning.

In El Paso, the suspected gunman, Patrick Crusius, 21, a white male from Allen, Texas, near Dallas, was in police custody. The police are reviewing a “manifesto” in connection with the shooting. A prosecutor said Sunday the state will seek the death penalty for Crusius.

The US attorney for the Western District of Texas, John Bash, said federal authorities were treating the El Paso massacre as a case of domestic terrorism.

“And we’re going to do what we do to terrorists in this country, which is to deliver swift and certain justice,” Bash told reporters Sunday.

In the Dayton shooting, 24-year-old gunman Connor Betts, a white male from Bellbrook, Ohio, was killed by police after a one-minute rampage. His sister Megan, 22, was among the dead. Twenty-seven others were injured in the shooting in the popular nightlife district.

Several Democratic presidential candidates sought on Sunday to link US President Donald Trump’s rhetoric to the spate of shootings and to white nationalism.

“Donald Trump is responsible for this. He is responsible because he is stoking fears and hatred and bigotry,” US Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey said on CNN’s State of the Union.

“It gives me no pleasure to say this, but I think all of the evidence out there suggests that we have a president who is a racist, who is a xenophobe who appeals, and is trying to appeal, to white nationalism,” Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders, US senator from Vermont, said on CNN.

“Clearly Donald Trump does not want anybody shooting down innocent people,” Sanders said, but added that talk about invasions and labeling migrants criminals risks leading unstable people to take up arms.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has hit the back of the net on a regular basis down the years and established his own way of marking that achievement

Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed that the goal celebration with which he is now synonymous was merely a “completely natural” reaction to finding the target while at Real Madrid.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who is currently on the books of Serie A giants Juventus, has had plenty of practice down the years when it comes to finding the target.

His stunning strike rate means that he is never far away from getting the opportunity to revel in the acclaim of an adoring fan base.

It was, however, back in the summer of 2013 that he gave his famous “Siiii” a first run out.

Explaining the origins of his actions, which see him spin in mid-air before landing with his arms outstretched, Ronaldo told Soccer.com: “It was when we were playing Chelsea in the USA and I really don’t know how it came about.

“I scored and it just came out. It was completely natural to be honest. 

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“Afterwards, I realised I enjoyed it and started to do it more often. I saw that the fans liked it and that they’d remember it so I carried on doing it.”

Ronaldo went on to net 51 times for Real in the 2013-14 campaign, before raising that tally to 61 the following season and never again dropping below the 40-goal mark before he departed Madrid in the summer of 2018.

He has remained a regular source of inspiration in the final third for Italian champions Juventus, while also taking his haul of international efforts for Portugal to 88 in 158 appearances.

A standing as an all-time great, and arguably the best ever, has already been firmly established by a modern-day icon.

Ronaldo is, however, prepared to admit that he still looks up to heroes of the past.

Many of those plying their trade at present would welcome the opportunity to play alongside him, but who does the 34-year-old superstar idolise?

Ronaldo said, when that question was put to him: “In my mind I have a lot of players I wanted to play with.

“But I will choose one from my country, passed away a few years ago: Eusebio

“He is one of the symbols of Portugal, he was an amazing person, he died a few years ago but I wish I could have played with him in the national team.”