Tough draw doesn't scare China: Yao

Tough draw doesn't scare China: Yao




Chinese national treasure Yao Ming still believes China is capable of achieving its goal of making the top six at the Olympics next month despite its tough draw.

The draw became even tougher after two Group B qualifiers were decided on Sunday; 2006 World Championships runner-up Greece and Dirk Nowitzki-led Germany will both pose considerable obstacles for China.

But the 2.29m NBA all-star center, who returned from injury at the Stankovic Continental Cup in Hangzhou last week, said China's goal would not change despite the unlucky draw.

"This is the worst draw I can ever imagine," said Yao, who helped China to victories over youth teams from Serbia and Russia before losing to Angola 71-70 on Saturday. "The other teams are very strong, but our goal stays the same."

Germany and Greece emerged from the Olympic qualifier in Athens and will join world champion Spain, the United States, African champion Angola and China in Group B.

The top four teams in each group will advance to the quarterfinals, meaning China will have to win at least two games if it hopes to advance.

But Yao, who only began practicing with the national side earlier this month, is confident.

"I am very sure we can beat Angola. We lost to them in Hangzhou, but we were not in our best shape last week," he said. "Their players are not very competitive, and I don't think they are able to pose us any real threat at the Games.

"We are not afraid of Germany either. Yi Jianlian has improved tremendously after playing one season in the NBA and he can limit Nowitzki. And I can take care of Chris Kaman."

The tournament in Hangzhou was Yao's first action since suffering a stress fracture in his left foot while playing for the Houston Rockets in February.

He showed signs of his dominant self, but he also turned the ball over frequently as the team struggled to adjust to having him back on the floor.

"The entire team is doing as much as we can to adjust to him," said Yi. "Personally, for me, I need to support him better."

'Little Dynamo' is a big absence in weightlifting

'Little Dynamo' is a big absence in weightlifting




Turkey's Halil Mutlu, nicknamed "Little Dynamo", announced last month he will no longer be going for his fourth Olympic gold in the 56 kg class, a feat that would have been a first for the sport.

Winner at the last three consecutive Olympic Games, Mutlu said he was unable to lift his weight targets in practice, making it difficult for him to participate in the Beijing Olympic Games, according the International Weightlifting Federation's website.

With Mutlu gone, and the absence of the entire Bulgarian team as well as members of the Greek team, other competitors will be looking to step onto the podium in Beijing. The "Iranian Hercules" Hossein Rezazadeh is looking to join the ranks of Mutlu and other three-time Olympic weightlifting gold medalists, going for his third gold in the over-105 kg weight class.

Meanwhile, in a visit to Beijing this July, the International Weightlifting Federation's technical delegates to the Games, Sam Coffa and Attila Adamfi, confirmed that preparations for the Olympic competitions are nearly completed.

At this year's Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, the men's and women's weightlifting events will both be held at the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Gymnasium (BUAA Gymnasium) from August 9th through the 19th.

Dutch football squad announced

Dutch football squad announced




Netherlands' coach Foppe de Haan announced on Tuesday the country's football roster for Beijing 2008. The roster includes three over-age players, namely, Kew Jaliens, Roy Makaay, and Gerald Sibon.

The team will play a pre-Games warm-up match against Belgium's Olympic team on July 23.

Dutch men's football team:

Goalkeepers: Piet Velthuizen (Vitesse), Kenneth Vermeer (Ajax)

Defenders: Kew Jaliens (AZ), Calvin Jong-A-Pin (Heerenveen), Kees Luijcks (AZ), Dirk Marcellis (PSV) (PSV), Erik Pieters (PSV), Gianni Zuiverloon (West Bromwich Albion)

Midfielders: Otman Bakkal (PSV), Urby Emanuelson (Ajax), Jonathan de Guzman (Feyenoord), Hedwiges Maduro (Valencia), Evander Sno (Celtic)

Forwards: Roy Beerens ( Heerenveen), Ryan Babel (Liverpool), Royston Drenthe (Real Madrid), Roy Makaay (Feyenoord), Gerald Sibon (Heerenveen).

Hamm proves fitness at intra-squad competition

Hamm proves fitness at intra-squad competition



US gymnast Paul Hamm proved his fitness for Beijing 2008 at an intra-squad competition in Colorado on July 19.

Despite breaking a bone in his right hand while competing at the US championships on May 22, Hamm had been included in the men's Olympic squad, which was announced in June. However, USA Gymnastics was still worried that Hamm's injury would affect his performance, especially on the parallel bars, which places the most stress on the hands of gymnasts.

Hamm proved the doubters wrong by performing well at the intra-squad competition in three events – high bar, pommel horse and still rings.

Hamm expects that he will be fully recovered when the Olympics begin, thus giving him the opportunity to defend the all-around gold medal that he won at Athens 2004. Hamm is also determined to defeat his Chinese rival Yang Wei, who is the reigning all-around world champion.

BOCOG launched the selection of torchbearers for Beijing 2008 Paralympic Torch Relay today.

BOCOG launched the selection of torchbearers for Beijing 2008 Paralympic Torch Relay today.




With promoting paralympic values as its core and spreading paralympic spirits as its objective, the selection of torchbearers of Beijing Paralympic Torch Relay will be open, fair and transparent, with the aim of promoting the national spirits with patriotism as its core and embodying the spirits of the present age. The selection is expected to select best qualified torchbearers for Beijing Paralympic Torch Relay, showcase the passion of the whole world towards paralympic movements and display the good spirits of Chinese people.

Beijing 2008 Paralympic Torch Relay has a total of 850 torchbearers. The selection will be mainly through organized recommendation and review. The selection process starts today.

The selection criteria are as follows:

Be patriotic and dedicated to the Olympic and Paralympic Movement.

Support the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games and practice paralympic concepts.

Be distinguished for remarkable feats in their profession or Community, or for a personal story that serves to inspire or motivate fellow citizens.

Be generous and dedicated to Community services and with high moral standard.

Be distinguished for contributions to the Olympic cause, or for extraordinary performance at the past Olympic Games or Paralympic Games.

The Torchbearer selection scope is: champions of previous Olympic Games or Paralympic Games, representatives of athletes (able-bodied/disabled), representatives of disabled with firm spirit who make unceasing efforts to improve themselves, representatives of public figures who apply themselves to help disabled people, to upgrade disabled people's life conditions, and to improve harmonious communities; representatives of Olympic Games/Paralympic Games volunteers; and staff of organizations of disabled persons.

The ratio for disabled Torchbearer should account no less than 20%. Those who have become Torchbearers of the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay will not be selected as Torchbearers of Paralympic Torch Relay.

The Selection Entity for Paralympic Torch Relay includes: the relay cities; The Presenting Partners of Beijing Paralympic Games; the Paralympic Family; BOCOG; The Chinese Paralympic Committee.

US announces women's gymnastics squad

US announces women's gymnastics squad




USA Gymnastics announced on July 19 the women's gymnastics squad for Beijing 2008. The squad consists of Shawn Johnson, Nastia Liukin, Chellsie Memmel, Alicia Sacramone, Samantha Peszek and Bridget Sloan. Squad selection was based on both the US Olympic trials that were held in June and an intra-squad competition that was held in Texas on July 18.

Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin qualified after finishing first and second at the Olympic trials. The other four women in the squad were chosen from the group of 12 that competed at the inter-squad competition.

Shayla Worley, who was a member of last year's gold-medal-winning team at the world championships, was not available for selection after breaking her right leg while warming up for the intra-squad competition.

Chellsie Memmel gave selectors a scare when she landed awkwardly during her floor routine and experienced neck soreness. However, Memmel was selected in the Olympic squad after being cleared of serious injury.

The United States is one of the favorites for team gold at Beijing 2008.

The US women's gymnastics squad for Beijing 2008:

Shawn Johnson: Took the world by storm in her first year (2007) after wining the all-around at the American Cup, Pan-American Games, US National Championships and World Championships. She is the favorite to win the all-around gold medal at Beijing 2008. Johnson is 16 years old.

Nastia Liukin: Gymnastics is in her blood because her father, Valeri was on the USSR team that won gold in 1988. Liukin is 18 years old. She has won four national all-around titles.

Chellsie Memmel: The 2005 world all-around champion missed Athens 2004 because of a foot injury. Memmel is 20 years old.

Alicia Sacramone: Was not selected for Athens 2004. Sacramone is a vault and floor routine specialist. The 20-year-old no longer trains on bars.

Samantha Peszek: The 16-year-old has been a solid performer at national level. Peszek's coach is Peter Zhao, who is originally from Tianjin, China.

Bridget Sloan: The 16-year-old has already tasted success in Beijing, winning a silver medal in the floor exercise and a bronze medal in the all-around at the 2007 Good Luck Beijing International Tournament.

Torch descends from mountains of Linyi

Torch descends from mountains of Linyi



The Olympic Torch Relay left Linyi at 6.37 p.m. on Monday after completing its 5.6 kilometer tour of the mountainous city.

Torchbearer Zhao Zhiquan lit the cauldron at Fenghuang Square bringing to an end the second stop of the relay in Shandong Province. Zhang Xia, a representative of Shandong Women's Representative Congress, was the afternoon's first torchbearer.

The Linyi leg of the relay involved a total of 109 torchbearers.