SPEED SKATING
Chen takes fifth place
Taiwan speed skater Chen Ying-chu placed fifth in the women’s 500m speed skating event at the 2025 Asian Winter Games yesterday. Competing at the HIC Speed Skating Oval in Harbin, China, Chen clocked 38.88 seconds in the race after making a mistake when exiting a turn and losing her early lead from the first 100m. She finished behind South Korean sprint skaters Kim Min-sun and Lee Na-hyun, as well as Tian Ruining and Wang Jingziqian of China. The times for the top four athletes were 38.24 seconds, 38.33 seconds, 38.57 seconds and 38.87 seconds. Chen made history the previous day as the first athlete representing Taiwan to secure a medal at the Asian Winter Games, finishing third in the women’s 100m speed skating event in 10.51 seconds. The 2025 Games mark Chen’s debut at the event, after winning six medals at roller speed skating world championships before transitioning to speed skating in 2023 to pursue her Olympic dream. Chen is set to compete in the women’s 1,000m tomorrow.
BOXING
Boxer dies after injury
Irish boxer John Cooney has died a week after being taken into intensive care following his Celtic super-featherweight title defeat to Nathan Howells in Belfast. The death of the 28-year-old Cooney was announced on Saturday in a statement published by his promoter Mark Dunlop on behalf of the Cooney family and his fiancee, Emmaleen. “After a week of battling for his life John Cooney has sadly passed away,” the statement said. “He was a much loved son, brother and partner and it will take us all a lifetime to forget how special he was. RIP John ‘the Kid’ Cooney.” Cooney’s fight with Howells was stopped in the ninth round at Ulster Hall. Cooney subsequently underwent surgery after it was discovered he had an intracranial hemorrhage. “Mr. and Mrs. Cooney and his fiancee Emmaleen would like to thank the staff at Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital who have worked tirelessly to save John’s life and for everyone who has sent messages of support and prayers,” the statement said.
SAILING
Britain extend their lead
Dlan Fletcher’s Britain prevailed over Giles Scott’s Canada in a thrilling final on Sydney Harbour to take the honors in the third round of the SailGP season yesterday and extend the team’s lead at the top of the series standings. Australia, with Tom Slingsby at the helm, had dominated the fleet races with three wins out of seven but were penalized for encroaching on the Canadians in the prestart of the three-boat shootout for the title and were unable to recover. Canada had a substantial lead turning into the upwind fifth of the seven legs of the final, but Britain overhauled them to edge ahead around Shark Island, and Fletcher held off his fellow British Olympic champion Morris to cross the line first. It was Britain’s first event win since the Canadian round last season, when Morris was at the helm, and extended their lead over Australia at the top of the series standings to three points. “Absolutely buzzing to get the win,” said Fletcher, who returned to the British boat this year having driven for the team in the first season of SailGP in 2019. “We won the start, but after that, you know, big mistakes,” he said. “But a great race here and great for the spectators. I’m stoked.”
Aaliyah Edwards on Monday pulled off the stunner of the opening round of the Unrivaled one-on-one tournament, beating top-seeded Breanna Stewart 12-0. The tournament to be played over three days featured 23 of the WNBA’s 36 players. A few had other commitments and a couple others were out with injuries. Stewart got the ball first against Edwards and missed a contested layup. Edwards then hit a three-pointer from the corner and a jumper from the elbow to go up 5-0. The player who scores keeps the basketball. Edwards hit two layups and a three-pointer to seal the win. Stewart, a two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player,
SPEEDSKATER: Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s run at the Asian Winter Games without a medal since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990 Speedskater Chen Ying-chu yesterday made history as the first athlete representing Taiwan to secure a medal at the Asian Winter Games. Competing at the HIC Speedskating Oval in Harbin, China, Chen clocked 10.510 seconds in the women’s 100m event, finishing third behind South Koreans Lee Na-hyum and Kim Min-sun, who posted times of 10.501 and 10.505 seconds respectively. Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s drought at the Asian Winter Games since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990. This year’s Games mark Chen’s debut at the event. Previously excelling in roller speedskating, she won six medals at world championships before transitioning
Taiwan’s Lin Yun-ju and Kao Cheng-jui were defeated by their Chinese counterparts 3-0 on Saturday in the men’s doubles final at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Singapore Smash. Lin and Kao received their silver medals after being defeated by third-seeded duo Lin Shidong and Wang Chuqin of China 2-11, 4-11, 11-13. The Taiwan pair were left playing catch-up early in the match after the Chinese duo proved unstoppable in the first and second game. Although Lin and Kao picked up their pace in the third game and at one point took a 10-8 lead, they were crucially unable to take
Australia yesterday won two of four races on the first day of the SailGP Sydney event on Sydney Harbour to finish the day atop the points table ahead of Britain and a French team who made an outstanding return after missing the first two events of the season. Australia also had a third and a second placing, finishing the day with 37 points, ahead of Britain with 32 points and France with 27. Britain won the second race of the day and Switzerland, who won the first race, were in fourth place overall. Australia’s prowess in the start box was again the
RSS