Digest

WINTER OLYMPICS

Wu leads short-track speed skating team

Defending Olympic champion Wu Dajing leads China's short-track speed skating team at Beijing 2022, according to the Games' media information system.

South Korean-born Lim Hyo-jun, who had been training with China's national team, will not be able to compete for China at Beijing 2022.Lim won 1,500m gold for South Korea at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games before choosing to naturalize as Chinese.

Wu and Ren Ziwei, who won 500m and 1,500m titles respectively during this season's ISU World Cup series, were confirmed on the team in December, with the remaining spots allocated based on performances at the Olympic trials.

China's 10-skater roster is: Wu Dajing, Ren Ziwei, Sun Long, Zhang Tianyi, and Li Wenlong (men);Zhang Yuting, Fan Kexin, Qu Chunyu, Zhang Chutong, and Han Yutong (women).

Ying, Huai spearhead host's bobsleigh squad

Pilots Ying Qing and Huai Mingming have been named in the Chinese bobsleigh squad for Beijing 2022.

Wang Xuan, Du Jiani, Sun Kaizhi, Wu Qingze, Zhen Heng, Wu Zhitao, Li Chunjian, Liu Wei, Shi Hao and Ding Song are also in the squad.

China has secured two quotas in each of the four bobsleigh events at the Games.

Ying and Huai will participate in both the women's events－2-woman bobsleigh and monobob. Li and Sun will compete in the 2-man and 4-man events. Ying placed seventh overall in the 2-woman bobsleigh World Cup rankings this season. Huai finished fourth in the 2021-22 women's monobob world series in Sigulda, Latvia on Jan 1. The Beijing 2022 bobsleigh competition begins on Feb 13.

AWARD

Paralympian Alcott scoops Aussie honor

Wheelchair tennis superstar and disability advocate Dylan Alcott has been named 2022 Australian of the Year.

Alcott, 31, on Tuesday night, became the first person with a disability to win Australian of the Year in the prestigious award's 62-year history.

In 2021, he made history as the first male to claim tennis' Golden Slam, winning the quad wheelchair singles titles at the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, the US Open, as well as a gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics.

"Winning grand slams and gold medals isn't my purpose. It's like, the 30th priority of my life," Alcott said in his acceptance speech in Canberra." My purpose is changing perceptions so people like me can get out there and live the lives they deserve to live. I love my disability. It is the best thing that ever happened to me. It really is. And I'm so thankful for the life that I get to live."

GOLF

New panelists join Top 100 committee

Kim Won-soo and Park Keun-tae joined Asia's Top 100 Golf Courses panel committee after a video conference at the Dewey Center in Beijing earlier this week.

Kim, the former Under Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Park, the former CEO at CJ Logistics and CJ China, both expressed their gratitude and said they are looking forward to working with the other members to support the development of Asia's golf industry.

Li Chao, the founder of Top 100 Golf Courses in Asia and the secretary-general of the committee, extended his congratulations to Kim and Park on behalf of the committee, saying: "I warmly welcome you and firmly believe that through your active participation and dedication, we can expect a brighter future for the Asian golf industry."

Top 100 Golf Courses in Asia is co-hosted by Golf Travel China and Golf Travel Korea, two media organizations. Graded by 72 panelists from 10 different countries and regions according to strict selection criteria, the ranking has been published annually for the past six years.

TENNIS

Rival slams Kyrgios antics in Melbourne

Tennis bad boy Nick Kyrgios has been labeled "an absolute k***" by an Australian Open rival after a heated doubles clash at Melbourne Park.

Kyrgios showboated and revved up the crowd as he and partner Thanasi Kokkinakis downed New Zealand's Michael Venus and Tim Putz of Germany 5-7,6-3, 3-6 in a men's doubles quarterfinal on Tuesday.

The Aussie mocked Venus' serving style and at one point smashed a ball into the crowd in frustration, hitting a 9-year-old boy.

Doubles specialist Venus was unamused, accusing Kyrgios of egging on spectators to cheer his opponents' mistakes.

"It felt like a circus out there, not really a tennis match... you know if it's on the other foot, old mate (Kyrgios) would have flipped his lid," Venus told TVNZ on Wednesday.

The Kiwi said that after the match he was inundated with messages on social media from people apologizing for the way the fiercely pro-Kyrgios crowd behaved.

Xinhua - Agencies