 China adds to gold tally
By Bao Daozu (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-09-16 07:46 Chinese athletes took one third of the total 18 gold medals on offer yesterday at the Bird's Nest, while So Wa-wai won Hong Kong's first athletics gold at the Beijing Games. "I'm very happy that I won the gold medal again and broke my own world record," said So, who won the men's T36 200m. The host team also shone in the Water Cube by grabbing three gold medals. In the men's 50m backstroke S3 class, Du Jianping defeated South Korean Min Byeong-eon and won his third gold in 44.31 seconds, chopping 1.54 off the former world mark. "Nerves haunted me before the race, because I was thinking it was my mission to secure the gold in my strong event," Du said. "I am happy that I did it." Three hours later, Du, working with his three teammates, snatched gold in the men's 450m medley relay 20pts with a time of 2:33.15, shaving 0.44 seconds off the former record. Chinese paddlers added two team titles to their golden collection and made it 10 with eight individual golds. Chinese pair Fan Lei and Lei Lina beat Poland 3-1 to win the women's class 6-10 title. The Polish sensation Natalia Partyka suffered her first singles defeat of the tournament, losing to Fan Lei, the singles silver medalist, in a five-game thriller. Later Liu Jing and Li Jia took another gold in the women's class 1-3 team final against Italy. On the tennis court, a stunning 352-match winning streak held by the Netherlands' Esther Vergeer was curtailed as the wheelchair tennis great teamed with Jiske Griffioen, but lost to compatriots Korie Homan and Sharon Walraven 2-1 in the women's doubles open final. In men's volleyball sitting, the dramatic rivalry between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iran was resolved in Iran's favor, as the Iranians took sweet revenge against their old opponents in straight sets, winning their fifth gold medal in six Paralympics. (China Daily 09/16/2008 page24) |
