 Trampoline: Lu makes it 2-for-2
By Lei Lei (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-20 08:32 Lu Chunlong won the men's trampoline gold yesterday to give China a sweep of the sport at the Beijing Games. He Wenna won the women's trampoline yesterday. Lu, 19, was the last competitor to jump and earned 41.00. Teammate Dong Dong was the favorite for gold but he had to settle for bronze with 40.60 points. Burnett Jason from Canada took silver with 40.70. "I'm very happy to win," said Lu, who started competing in senior international events in 2006. "There was some pressure on me when I got to know that Dong lagged behind the Canadian. I knew I could not afford to make any mistakes, but I just went ahead." Dong, the runner-up at 2007 World Championships, wasn't disappointed with his showing. "Before the competition, I thought that if I didn't get a gold, I would feel disappointed. But now I don't feel disappointed. I think I have done my best," he said. Like China's other trampoline athletes, Lu also switched to the sport from gymnastics, which he picked up at the age of six. He made great progress in the past two years, winning three World Cup series titles in 2007 and another three in 2008. The consistent performances in the international competitions gave him the chance to be in the Olympic squad ahead of former world champion Ye Shuai. (China Daily 08/20/2008 page8) |
