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Unlikely hero: Sensational Yan Wengang blazes a trail for Chinese sliders at Beijing 2022

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Nothing about what Yan Wengang has achieved over the past few days on the 1,615-meter track of the National Sliding Center in Yanqing is normal. Long jumpers do not sparkle at the skeleton events; callow youngsters do not upstage their better-known, seasoned rivals at high-level competitive tournaments; Chinese sliders do not storm into the final and wrap up the day by reaching the Olympic podium on their debut.

However, as Yan vividly demonstrated in his four breathtaking runs in the men’s skeleton event at the Beijing Winter Games, the 24-year-old is not an ordinary athlete. In just seven years, he has gone from being a track and field athlete concentrating on refining the technical skills of the long jump to stunning the world by winning China’s first-ever Olympic medal in the sliding sports.

Yan Wengang of China starts his run in the men’s skeleton event at Beijing 2022 in Yanqing, Beijing, China, February 11, 2022. /China News Service, CFP

With maturity and poise that belied his relative inexperience, Yan beat off fierce competitions from some of the world’s finest sliders and clinched a bronze medal with a sensational total time of 4:01.77 on Friday night, trailing only two German titans Christopher Grotheer (4:01.01) and Axel Jungk (4:01.67). Yan’s teammate Yin Zheng also delivered an incredible performance to finish fifth, just behind Sochi 2014 skeleton champion Aleksandr Tretiakov.

“I didn’t even think I was able to win a bronze medal. I didn’t think I was this strong,” beamed an emotional Yan after the race. “Normally, in training I don’t make too many mistakes, I think I do quite well.”

Yan admitted that he enjoyed a competitive advantage of being more familiar with the track and seized the opportunity to steal a march on his rivals.

“Before the competition today, I told myself not to worry about it, the athletes from other countries have never raced on the track at night before, so heat 3 is when the competition really begins. When heat 4 came around, I told myself to just go for it, and just show what I’ve been able to do in training,” he observed.

Yan Wengang during the men’s skeleton event at Beijing 2022, February 11, 2022. /China News Service, CFP

Born in north China’s Tianjin, a municipality that neighbors Beijing, Yan has had explosive strength and raw power since he was a child. The first sport he picked up was the long jump, which has enabled him to develop exceptional body control and coordination.

“In 2015, China formed a national skeleton team, and I was recommended to join the team, thus changing my main discipline from long jump to skeleton,” Yan explained. “When I first started training, I knew absolutely nothing about skeleton. I was even scared to play the sport because I’ve never been on a roller coaster, let alone skeleton.”

“I was so scared the first time I raced that I ended up being pushed down the track by my coach,” said Yan, smiling. “But as I learned more about skeleton, I gradually became less scared. And after hundreds of training sessions, I now enjoy the feeling of sliding at top speed.”

Yan remembers every injury he has sustained on the ice track’s most treacherous spots. “I had bruises all over my body because I was not skilled enough. But the next day, I had to continue training, and the swelling and bruises wouldn’t go away all winter,” said Yan.

Yan finishes his four runs in the men’s skeleton event at Beijing 2022, China, February 11, 2022. /CFP

Hours of training on track are clearly paying off. Despite only making his international debut in 2018, Yan continues his steady rise.

In 2018 and 2019, he had two top-10 finishes at successive Junior World Championships. In 2019, he also became the first Chinese athlete to win a race at the Europa Cup in Koenigssee, Germany. In 2020, he managed an impressive sixth place in the mixed team event at the World Championships in Altenberg, Germany.

However, no one could have predicted that within two years, he’d become an Olympic hero in his home country and steal the limelight in a sport largely dominated by European giants.

While Yan has defied his underdog status in completing the impossible, he believed that his breakthrough at the Winter Games could mark the beginning of a new era.

“This medal should make China confident about our future in skeleton,” he mused. “We do have the ability to be competitive. I will continue to work hard and try to achieve more.”

Source: CGTN

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Germany one of UEFA Euro 2024 favorites, says Matthaeus

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by Oliver Trust

BERLIN, March 27 (Xinhua) — Enthusiastic fan chants filled the Frankfurt arena as a determined team pushed its way to success, impressing pundits. The German national team seems rejuvenated after a remarkable transformation.

“We see and feel something that wasn’t there before,” remarked Real star Toni Kroos, the driving force behind the 2014 World Champions, upon his return after an absence of over two years.

“The team went through dark times and many months of drought, but we managed to build up faith and confidence in these two games and our training sessions,” the midfielder stated.

Having defeated France (2-0) and the Netherlands (2-1), two of Europe’s leading sides, feels like a refreshing restart without inherited burdens for the German national team.

The fundamental changes implemented by national coach Julian Nagelsmann have sparked a new spirit and opened doors for bold dreams, as not only German record international Lothar Matthaeus has redefined new goals for the Euro tournament host.

“From what I see, the team can win the trophy this summer,” said the 63-year-old former midfielder, who has been capped 150 times, referring to the Euro taking place from June 15 to July 15 in ten German arenas.

Just in time, Nagelsmann pressed the emergency button, leaving out established forces and relying on a strict performance pattern, only selecting players currently performing at a high level, regardless of the number of internationals in the German shirt.

Last autumn, Germany seemed to have hit rock bottom, suffering from two disappointing defeats against Turkey and Austria.

“We are back on track as we feel a new spirit, and things are going much better for everyone and the entire team,” said Bayern full-back and midfielder Joshua Kimmich.

Stuttgart full-back and national team newcomer Maximilian Mittelstaedt spoke of “something big” on the way.

Nagelsmann’s strategy to outline clear areas of responsibility for each of his players has created stability, while the coach has returned to a more conservative line-up, paying attention to the team’s defense.

A back row of four with two midfielders ahead is allowing offensive forces such as Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, Ilkay Guendogan, and Kai Havertz to initiate surprising attacks.

With Mittelstaedt and Kimmich, the German coach seems to have solved the full-back problem that the team had been suffering from for several years.

With Union midfielder Robert Andrich, Nagelsmann seems to have found the holding six, covering the defensive midfield part aside from conducting Kroos.

While several newcomers and returnees enjoy the upswing, left-out players such as Dortmund’s stars Mats Hummels, Niklas Suele, Emre Can, and Julian Brandt, aside from Bayern’s Leon Goretzka, are in danger of missing Euro 2024.

Regarding his job as a project focused solely on the Euro outcome, Nagelsmann has instilled confidence by creating a tight-knit community.

Both recent victories have revitalized Germany’s national team, and as a side effect, previously disappointed fans are once again backing their team.

Source(s): Xinhua

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VAM appoints former president to lead once again

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Volleyball Association of Maldives (VAM) has appointed Mohamed Latheef, as its new president.

Latheef, who was the association’s president in 2016, was appointed to the position without an election. He was appointed at the association’s extarordinary congress held on Tuesday evening at Solite Restaurants.

He came to fill in the shoes of outogoing Mohamed Ranesh after his term expired on February 2024.

Since Latheef was the only one to submit his name for the position, the former Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) President was appointed without any competition.

Besides the president, the extraordinary congress saw the election of four other Vice Presidents to the executive committee of VAM, with Mohamed Sajid securing Senior Vice President’s position.

Ali Latheef was elected as Vice President, Volleyball, and Izzath Waheed was elected as Vice President, Administration. Aaidha Abdul Hakeem was elected for the female-designate Vice President’s seat.

Additionally, four more members were elected for VAM’s executive committee that include Fathuhulla Waheed, Shiyam Ali, Sofwan Ahmed and Aishath Fatheena.

Although Latheef was first elected as VAM’s President in 2016, he lost the position after the then Sports Commissioner Heena Ahmed Saleem announced the disolution of the association’s executive committee in 2019 following an investigation.

Previously, VAM’s election to elect executive committee members was scheduled for March 15th, but the current Sports Commissioner Mohamed Tholal demanded for a delay.

The association received permission to go ahead with the election under conditions.

Source(s): sun.mv

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ACC raids Badminton Association as part of corruption probe

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Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), on Tuesday, raided the Badminton Association of Maldives as part of a probe into corruption allegations.

ACC, on Tuesday, said an investigative team of the commission has entered the Badminton Association of Maldives to gather questions and information regarding multiple allegations of corruption filed against the association with the commission.

They did not disclose any further details regarding the case.

The case has come to light after major corruption cases against Football Association of Maldives (FAM) have been investigated following which charges have been sought against some individuals.

Source(s): sun.mv

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