GANGNEUNG, South Korea  -- The top international skating official on Sunday kept mum on Russia's participation in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, with the country still under investigation for state-sponsored doping.Jan Dijkema, president of the International Skating Union (ISU), said the decision will be up to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which has set up two commissions to investigate Russian doping. It was in response to a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-commissioned repor

Olympic GamesFeb. 12, 2017

South Korea is projected to win six gold medals to rank eighth at next year's Winter Olympics on home soil, a U.S. sports data analysis firm said Saturday.   Gracenote said South Korea will grab six gold, three silver and one bronze medals in its latest Virtual Medal Table, updated with about a year to go until the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games to be held on South Korea's east coast.   The projected gold medal total would tie South Korea's previous record at a Winter Games. The country won half

SportsFeb. 11, 2017

   PYEONGCHANG (Yonhap) -- Anton Kushnir of Belarus, the reigning Olympic champion in men's aerial skiing, won the gold medal at an International Ski Federation (FIS) competition here on Friday.   Kushnir, the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics winner, scored 199.47 points in the aerials finals at the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, some 180km east of Seoul. He edged out Qi Guangpu of China by 0.92 points to claim his second World victory this year.    Mac Bohonnon of the U

More SportsFeb. 10, 2017

   GANGNEUNG (Yonhap) -- South Korean Lee Seung-hoon sustained an apparent leg injury in a fall during the world championships Friday.   Lee lost his balance trying to turn a corner and fell in the latter stage of the men's team pursuit race at the International Skating Union (ISU) World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships at Gangneung Oval in Gangneung, Gangwon Province.   Lee, who helped South Korea to the team pursuit silver at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, stayed on the ice for a

More SportsFeb. 10, 2017

   PYEONGCHANG (Yonhap) -- Two South Korean male aerial skiers said Friday their first ever International Ski Federation (FIS) World Cup has served a good teaching ground ahead of the Winter Olympics next here.   Kim Nam-jeen and Yoon Gi-chan failed to qualify for the men's aerials finals at the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, some 180km east of Seoul. Kim finished 24th, while Yoon ended up 31st among the 32 skiers who competed at Phoenix Snow Park. They both missed

Olympic GamesFeb. 10, 2017

   GANGNEUNG (Yonhap) -- South Korean Olympic speed skating champion Lee Sang-hwa claimed the silver medal in the women's 500m at the world championships here Friday.   Lee finished second among 24 skaters with her season best time of 37.48 seconds at the International Skating Union (ISU) World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships at Gangneung Oval in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. Some 230 kilometers east of Seoul, the new arena is hosting its first international competition as a test eve

More SportsFeb. 10, 2017

GANGNEUNG (AP) -- The one-year countdown to the Pyeongchang Games began Thursday with Yuna Kim revealing the Olympic torch and organizers opening online ticket reservations.South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn and an International Olympic Committee delegation led by Gunilla Lindberg, who heads the IOC's coordination commission for the games, also attended the ceremony in Gangneung, which will host the ice sports events next year."I am convinced that the Pyeongchang Olympics will be a succes

Olympic GamesFeb. 9, 2017

INCHEON (Yonhap) -- Eight national baseball team members from the reigning league champions Doosan Bears said Thursday they'll represent the country with pride at an upcoming international tournament.No Korea Baseball Organization club will have more representation at the World Baseball Classic next month. And these eight players -- infielders Oh Jae-won, Kim Jae-ho and Hur Kyoung-min; outfielders Min Byung-hun and Park Kun-woo; and pitchers Chang Won-jun and Lee Hyun-seung -- halted their offse

BaseballFeb. 9, 2017

GANGNEUNG (Yonhap) -- South Korean speed skater Kim Bo-reum said Thursday she surprised herself by breaking her own national record in the women's 3,000m.Kim finished sixth in the event with a time of 4:03.85 at the International Skating Union (ISU) World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships at Gangneung Oval in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, some 230 kilometers east of Seoul.The previous mark had been 4:04.62.The 24-year-old wasn't considered a serious title contender in the 3,000m, where

Olympic GamesFeb. 9, 2017

After earning a victory in his long-awaited return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), South Korean mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Jung Chan-sung said Monday he wants to face interim featherweight champion Max Holloway next. Jung, better known by his nickname "Korean Zombie" for his aggressiveness, came home after clinching a first-round knockout against Dennis Bermudez at the UFC Fight Night 104 in Houston on Saturday. The 29-year-old landed an uppercut on Bermudez, who is ranked No.

More SportsFeb. 6, 2017

South Korean An Byeong-Hun drained a 35-foot birdie putt at the final hole on Friday to grab a share of the USPGA Tour Phoenix Open lead alongside American Brendan Steele.An carded his second straight 66 for 10-under 132, while Steele had three of his four birdies in the last four holes in a four-under 67.They were one stroke in front of a group of players led by overnight leader Matt Kuchar, who carded a 69, and defending champion Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, who signed for a 68. Kuchar and Matsu

GolfFeb. 4, 2017

South Korean slugger Park Byung-ho has been designated for assignment by the Minnesota Twins, facing a likely demotion to the minors.The Twins made the move Friday (local time) to make room for reliever Matt Belisle on their 40-man roster.Park, who made his major league debut last season as the Twins' designated hitter, must wait and see if any other team claims him off waivers over the next seven days. If he clears waivers -- meaning, if no club picks him up -- Park then may be sent outright to

BaseballFeb. 4, 2017

American snowboarder Chloe Kim will visit South Korea next week as a sports envoy for the State Department in a show of U.S. support for the ally's preparations to host the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games, the U.S. Embassy said Saturday.Kim is scheduled to arrive in Seoul on Wednesday and meet with local university students to "talk about the challenges of being a top-tier athlete competing on the world stage," the embassy in the capital said in a press release.Kim, a 16-year-old high scho

Olympic GamesFeb. 4, 2017

Tickets to the first Winter Olympics in South Korea will go on sale when the countdown reaches one year next month, the organizers said Monday.The organizing committee for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games said ticket sales will commence on Feb. 9. It has unveiled a 30-second promotional video clip, titled "Get Your Tickets and Share the Passion," on its website.The organizers had earlier planned to launch ticket sales last October. But it decided to postpone it for a few months to further stabi

Olympic GamesJan. 23, 2017

South Korean football has ended the year ranked No. 37 in the world. South Korea remained at the same spot as the previous month in the latest FIFA rankings announced Thursday.Iran topped all Asian Football Confederation (AFC) members at No. 29, followed by South Korea, Japan (No. 45), Australia (No. 47) and Saudi Arabia (No. 54).South Korea will resume their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign on March 23 against China. South Korea are currently ranked second behind Iran in Group A of the f

SoccerDec. 22, 2016