IN BRIEF (Page 22)
ATHLETICS
International Marathon set for October
The 2007 ANA Beijing International Marathon will be held on Sunday, October 21 starting from Tian'anmen Square.
Similar to last year, the marathon, sanctioned by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), will include four main disciplines - the full marathon (42.195km), half marathon (21.0975km), 8km and mini marathon (4.2km).
Up until yesterday, more than 10,000 runners had registered for one of the highest-level marathons in the world.
Organizers expect 24,000 runners to take part.
Kenyan Henry Wanyoike, a blind marathon runner and Paralympic world record holder in the 5,000 and 10,000m, will run this year's race along with a group of students from Beijing's School for the Blind.
Last year's race was won by Kenya's James Kwambi Kipsang in the men's race and China's Sun Weiwei in the women's.
Mountain Climbing
European climbers big winners in Qinghai
European climbers swept the titles at the 2007 Shan-gao-ren-wei-feng Cup World Cup rock climbing tournament in West China's Qinghai Province.
World No 2 Natalija Gros of Slovenia topped the women's boulder competition while world No 6 Tomas Mrazek of the Czech Republic won the men's event.
Two Russian climbers, Sergey Sinitsyn and Tatiana Ruyga, both world No 1 in the speed event, also triumphed.
China fielded a 15-strong team but no member was able to advance to the top three in any category.
A fourth place by He Cuifang in women's speed was the highlight of local athletes' performance.
In the men's speed race, Hong Kong climber Lai Chi-Wai finished fourth.
Each winner bagged $5,000 at the $44,000 tournament organized by China Mountaineering Administrative Center and the government of Qinghai.
BOWLING
Asian Youth Tenpin Championships hits Beijing
The 14th Asian Youth Tenpin Bowling Championships will be held in Beijing from today until next Wednesday.
As the biggest ever youth championships in Asia, 118 sharp shooters from 17 countries and regions will take part in the tournament.
The Chinese Bowling Association decided to host the event in the Bowling Center of the Holiday Inn Lido Beijing adjacent to the International Airport.
China is fielding four men's and four women's players with a hope the youngsters aged between 18 and 22 will gain experience ahead of the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou.
"It is a good chance for China to develop the grassroots of the sport," Vice-President of China Bowling Association Cui Zhiqiang said.
"Our players have improved a lot after a period of assembled trainings and I hope they will gain more by competition with Asia's best young players."
(China Daily 08/17/2007 page22)
