Team Taiwan grabbed two more gold medals, two silvers and a bronze at the World Games in Kaohsiung yesterday as the speed rollerskaters and tug-of-war athletes delivered the goods.
The gold rush took Taiwan’s gold tally in the first three days of competition to five, leaving them second in the overall medals table.
Huang Yu-ting made it three golds in three days at the Yangming Skating Rink with her victory in the 500m sprint, while compatriot Hsu Chiao-jen finished out of the medals.
PHOTO: CNA
Her boyfriend, Lo Wei-lin, however, was denied gold despite winning the race by 0.169 seconds ahead of Colombia’s Andres Felipe Munoz. The Colombian team appealed a push by Lo, whose victory was then overturned, leaving him to make do with silver.
This was Lo’s second piece of bad luck at the Games after he lost out on a medal chance in the final of the 1,000m race on Saturday after falling with just two laps remaining.
Taiwan’s bodybuilders also got in on the act, with Hsu Chung-huang taking silver in the men’s middleweight category and Huang Chien-chih grabbing bronze in the welterweight division.
Earlier in the day, the women’s tug-of-war team lived up to their reputation as golden girls as they swept all before them to clinch gold at the Guo Guang School gym.
Cheered on by a very noisy crowd that included Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊), the ladies from Changhua were undefeated in all eight rounds of competition as they easily retained the 520kg indoor title they won in Duisburg, Germany, four years ago.
Facing a strong team in the best-of-three final, Taiwan never looked in trouble as their superior technique and military-like marching took its toll on the previously unbeaten Dutch.
The first round started with a 1 minute and 30 second stalemate as the two teams tried to wear each other down, but then Taiwan started to pull and the Dutch women had no answer, succumbing after 2 minutes and 5 seconds.
In the second pull Taiwan made their move earlier and it was all over in 1 minute and 38 seconds, with Taiwan grabbing the win and sending the crowd wild with glee.
Great Britain’s women beat Japan in the bronze medal match.
Later in the final of the men’s outdoor 640kg, Switzerland beat Germany to take gold, while the Netherlands beat Great Britain to take the bronze medal.
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