Digest

FIGURE SKATING

Sui and Han reveal Beijing buildup plans

Olympic silver medalists Sui Wenjing and Han Cong will begin their buildup to Beijing 2022 by taking part in the second and third events of the 2021-22 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series.

Sui and Han's first stop of the series will be at Skate Canada in Vancouver (Oct 29-31) before returning for the Cup of China in Chongqing (Nov 5-7), the Chinese Figure Skating Association confirmed on Wednesday. The pair finished runner-up at March's world championships in Stockholm.

Peng Cheng and Jin Yang will also take part in two events of the series－the Cup of China and Internationaux de France in Grenoble, where young Chinese pair Wang Yuchen and Huang Yihang will make their senior grand prix debuts.

Jin Boyang, who struggled at the worlds to finish 22nd, will attempt to rediscover his form at the Cup of China. Ice dance pair Wang Shiyue and Liu Xinyu will also be in the field in Chongqing, as well as the NHK Trophy in Japan.

OLYMPICS

China announces shuttlers for Tokyo

The Chinese Badminton Association on Wednesday announced a 14-player squad for this summer's Tokyo Olympics.

Rio champion Chen Long will defend the men's singles crown at his third Olympics, while women's world No 2 Chen Yufei and top-ranked mixed doubles pair Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong will all be chasing their first golds at the Games.

According to Badminton World Federation rules, teams can enter a maximum of two players or two pairs, provided they have a top-16 singles or a top-eight doubles ranking.

The only one of the five events that China has not fulfilled its quota is the men's doubles, where lone duo Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen ranked third in Olympic qualification.

Chen Long and Shi Yuqi will lead Chinese medal hopes in the men's singles, with Chen Yufei, who led the Olympic points tally, and He Bingjiao targeting the podium in the women's singles.

China will be represented in women's doubles by Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan, and Du Yue and Li Yinhui. World No 2 pair Wang Yilyu and Huang Dongping will join Zheng and Huang in the mixed doubles.

Breast-feeding athletes allowed to bring babies

Canadian basketball player Kim Gaucher, who is breast-feeding her infant daughter, has been successful in her quest to bring the baby to the Tokyo Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee says nursing mothers will now be allowed to bring their babies to the Japanese capital. The move comes after Gaucher made an emotional plea via Instagram to have 3-month-old Sophie travel with her to the Games.

Gaucher, a 37-year-old from Mission, British Columbia, said the IOC was forcing her to make a tough choice: skip the Olympics or spend 28 days in Tokyo without her child.

"We very much welcome the fact that so many mothers are able to continue to compete at the highest level, including at the Olympic Games," the IOC said on Wednesday in a statement.

"We are very pleased to hear that the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee has found a special solution regarding the entry to Japan for mothers who are breast-feeding and their young children."

The IOC had stipulated that no family could travel to Tokyo due to COVID-19 restrictions.

SPORTS SCIENCE

University's journal sees influence grow

A Shanghai-based sports science journal has been rated third-highest for "impact factor" on the latest Science Citation Index.

The Journal of Sport and Health Science (English version), published by the Shanghai University of Sport, saw its impact factor soar from 5.200 last year to 7.179 this year. The publication was cited 2,746 times, according to Clarivate Analytics.

The JSHS has published 43 editions since it was launched in May 2012. It is the first English-language sports science journal to be published in the Chinese mainland.

Every year, it features over 2,000 articles written by authors from more than 70 nations and regions. Papers from the journal are downloaded more than 1 million times per year.

SOCCER

Man United closing on $100m Sancho swoop

Jadon Sancho appears finally headed to Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund after a long-running pursuit of the winger.

United has agreed to a deal in principle to sign Sancho for 85 million euros ($100 million) from Dortmund, a source said on Wednesday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss a transfer yet to be completed.

The 21-year-old Sancho is currently with the England squad involved in the European Championship as the team prepares for its quarterfinal with Ukraine on Saturday. Despite Sancho commanding a big fee after impressing in the Bundesliga, he is yet to start for England at the tournament.

Sancho started his career at Manchester City but rejected a deal to stay and joined Dortmund in 2017. He has scored 38 times in his 104 Bundesliga appearances.

Now he is set for City's fierce local rival to help United's bid to dethrone its neighbor as English Premier League champion. The new season starts for United on Aug 14 against Leeds at Old Trafford.

China Daily - Agencies