The Korea Herald

[Asian Games] ‘Ceremony Girls’ join beauty battle

North Korea has its “Army of Beauties,” but the rival South is fighting back at the Asian Games with its “Medal Ceremony Girls.” Many South Koreans were heartbroken when the North refused to send its renowned cheerleaders to the pan-Asian sporting event in Incheon in a political wrangle.Though praising anything about the North is against the law, people in the South admired the troupe of sharply dressed, good-looking “Army of Beauties” first brought to the South when the Asian Games were held in

More SportsSept. 23, 2014

[Asian Games] ‘Ceremony Girls’ join beauty battle

[Asian Games] Fencers go for more gold

South Korea has dominated fencing at this year’s Asian Games at home and two individual champions will go after team titles on Wednesday.Gu Bon-gil, the men’s sabre champion, will enter the team competition with Kim Jung-hwan, Won Woo-young and Oh Eun-seok. The same foursome won the team sabre gold at the 2012 Olympics. Gu beat Kim for the individual gold earlier. Korea’s Gu Bon-gil (Yonhap)On the women’s side, Jeon Hee-sook, who took the individual foil gold, will team up with Nam Hyun-hee, Oh

More SportsSept. 23, 2014

[Asian Games] Silver lining in Incheon

The South Korean shooting team grabbed silver in the men’s 10-meter air rifle at the Asian Games on Tuesday.The trio of Han Jin-seop, Kim Sang-do and Kim Hyeon-jun put together 1,867.6 points to capture silver, 18.8 points behind China, which took a substantial lead from the onset.India shot 1,863 points for bronze at Ongnyeon International Shooting Range in South Korea’s western port city of Incheon. At the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, South Korea won bronze in this distance.Kim Sang-do led the

More SportsSept. 23, 2014

[Asian Games] Hong Kong’s women blossom as professional athletes

The Hong Kong women's indoor volleyball team has overcome unfavorable circumstances to participate in the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. The team suffered three consecutive losses (0-3 to Chinese Taipei, 1-3 to Kazakhstan and 0-3 to China) so far in the Group B preliminary round. However, it would be difficult to blame the team even if they happen to return home without qualifying for the quarterfinals, since the team is made up of career women and students who enjoy playing volleyball on the side. F

Olympic GamesSept. 23, 2014

[Asian Games] N. Korean lifters dedicate victories to young leader

North Korea’s two record-breaking lifters Om Yun-chol and Kim Un-guk on Tuesday dedicated their gold medals at the 2014 Asian Games to Kim Jong-un, sticking to their usual script as they demonstrated their loyalty to the young leader of the reclusive country.“Our dear leader, who empathized with my (hardships) during training, gave me the love and support to help me achieve such a successful result,” Kim said during a press conference.The 25-year-old on Sunday won the men’s 62-kilogram event aft

More SportsSept. 23, 2014

[Asian Games] Slugger Park Byung-ho shrugs off mediocre night at plate

For all his prowess at the plate, South Korean baseball slugger Park Byung-ho had a mediocre night at the plate against the heavy underdog Thailand.Park Byung-ho, the South Korean captain at the ongoing Asian Games, is the country’s premier power hitter. He has led the top competition, the Korea Baseball Organization, in homers in each of the past two years, and is leading the pack again this year with 48.Yet in his first at-bat at the Asiad, Park struck out swinging, fanning on a pitch by Thai

More SportsSept. 23, 2014

[Asian Games] Men's artistic gymnastics: Japan dethrones China in individual all-around finals

Japan took down China's four-decade-long reign in men's artistic gymnastics, by sweeping the gold and silver medal in the individual all-around finals at the Namdong Gymnasium on Tuesday. This is Japan's first gold in the event in 40 years, after Kazuo Horide's gold medal in the 1974 Tehran Asian Games. By winning the all-around finals, Japan's Yuya Kamoto achieved a double crown in men's gymnastics. Masayoshi Yamamoto added another silver medal for Japan, and South Korea's team captain Lee Sang

Olympic GamesSept. 23, 2014

[Asian Games] Park Tae-hwan reaches 400ｍ freestyle final

South Korean swimmer Park Tae-hwan cruised into the final of the men's 400-meter freestyle on Tuesday at the Asian Games.Park finished second in Heat 3 and third overall among eight qualifiers with a time of 3:53.80, while Sun Yang of China, the2012 Olympic champ in the 400ｍ free, won the heat with the top qualifying time of 3:51.17.They raced next to each other in the same heat, with Park in the fifth lane and Sun in the fourth lane. (Yonhap)Kosuke Hagino of Japan won Heat 2 with 3:52.24 and fi

Olympic GamesSept. 23, 2014

[Asian Games] Park Tae-hwan reaches 400ｍ freestyle final

[Asian Games] S. Korea gains baseball win over Thailand

South Korea on Monday easily defeated Thailand 15-0 after five innings in a mercy rule. At the Asian Games, a game is called after five innings if a team is winning by at least 15 runs, or after seven innings if one side is leading by 10 runs or more.Starter Kim Kwang-hyun, slated to pitch in the gold medal game on Sunday if South Korea reaches the finals, struck out four Thai hitters in two innings. The eight first-inning runs came on four hits, six walks and an error, and starter Wissaroot Sih

More SportsSept. 22, 2014

S. Korean judoka Jeong defends under-78kg title

South Korean female judoka Jeong Gyeong-mi defended her Asiad under-78 kilogram title after defeating North Koreas's Sol Kyong at the Asian Games on Monday.Zhang Zhehui from China and Mami Umeki from Japan shared bronze.Ranking eighth in the world, Jeong became the first South Korean female judo fighter to win two straight golds at the Asian Games. In the 2010 Guangzhou Asiad, Jeong had won the 78㎏ event. Jeong and Sol had some skirmishes in the four-minute battle, but neither was able to put

More SportsSept. 22, 2014

[Asian Games] S. Korea nabs two fencing silver medals

South Korea won two silver medals in fencing at the Asian Games on Monday to end the gold streak in individual competitions. In the women's epee, Shin A-lam lost to Sun Yujie of China 6-5 in the final, while Heo Jun in the men's foil was defeated by Ma Jianfei of China 15-13.As the Asian Games host, South Korea had previously won all four individual gold medals at stake in two days of fencing competition. In six individual events for fencing, South Korea won four gold, three silver and one bron

More SportsSept. 22, 2014

[Asian Games] N. Korean lifter lands gold in women's 58㎏

North Korean lifter Ri Jong-hwa seized the gold medal in the women's 58-kilogram division at the 2014 Asian Games on Monday.Ri lifted a total of 236 kg -- 102㎏ in the snatch and 134㎏ in the clean and jerk -- to claim the top spot on the podium, defeating her Chinese opponent Wang Shuai.It was North Korea's third weightlifting gold medal in Incheon."I would like to report (my victory) to our leader Kim Jong-un first and foremost," said a smiling Ri during an interview after she was awarded the go

More SportsSept. 22, 2014

Barca wins as Chelsea held 1-1

PARIS (AP) ― Manchester United’s new-look attack looked impressive once again only for its suspect defense to collapse in spectacular style in a 5-3 loss to newly promoted Leicester in the Premier League.The day after Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat trick helped Real Madrid thrash Deportivo La Coruna 8-2 away from home, Barcelona cruised to a 5-0 win at Levante despite a rare penalty miss from Lionel Messi, who seems to prefer setting up goals these days ― especially for Neymar.Paris Saint-Germain faile

SoccerSept. 22, 2014

Kemp, Dodgers handle Cubs 8-5

CHICAGO (AP) ― The Los Angeles Dodgers were looking ahead to a matchup with the division-rival Giants when they pushed Dan Haren back a day.The bullpen came through on Sunday against the last-place Cubs.Matt Kemp homered and had four RBIs, Yasiel Puig scored a career-high four times and the NL West-leading Dodgers used six pitchers to beat Chicago 8-5.“It’s a good feeling in this clubhouse right now finishing up with Chicago because it’s a scrappy team and they gave us all we could handle for fo

BaseballSept. 22, 2014

Hur pulls away for LPGA Tour win in Alabama

PRATTVILLE, Alabama (AP) ― Hur Mi-jung was finally able to relax for a couple of holes after matching top-ranked Stacy Lewis stroke for stroke Sunday in the final round of the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic.The 24-year-old South Korean player never gave up the last-day lead on her way to a tournament-record 21-under 267 total. Hur birdied four of the final eight holes to beat Lewis by four strokes for her second LPGA Tour victory. The each shot 6-under 66.Hur was able to savor the end of her round,

GolfSept. 22, 2014

Hur pulls away for LPGA Tour win in Alabama

[Asian Games] Silver in sepak takraw

South Korea grabbed the sepak takraw silver on Monday at the ongoing Asian Games, losing to defending champion Myanmar 2-0 (21-19, 21-18). In the closely contested final held at Bucheon Gymnasium, just outside the host city of Incheon, South Korea’s Kim Young-man (photo), Jeong Won-deok and Yim An-soo lost to Zaw Zaw Aung, Wai Lin Aung and Zaw Latt of the Southeast Asian powerhouse. Korea is the only country from outside Southeast Asia to win a sepaktakraw gold at the Asian Games, taking the men

More SportsSept. 22, 2014

[Asian Games] Heavyweights of the pool

INCHEON (Yonhap) ― Following the stunning result at the men’s 200-meter freestyle, swimming medalists Park Tae-hwan of South Korea, Sun Yang of China and Japan’s Kosuke Hagino will have a second showdown in the men’s 400-meter freestyle on Tuesday at the Incheon Asian Games.The three medalists will race in the heats in the morning at Munhak Park Tae-hwan Aquatics Center and, should they all qualify, in the medal decider at 8:16 p.m.Park will swim in the fifth lane in Heat 3, while Sun will take

More SportsSept. 22, 2014

[Asian Games] S. Korea wins gold in 25-meter pistol

The South Korean female team won gold in the 25-meter pistol event at the Asian Games, edging out its rival China by a point.The team of Kim Jang-mi, Lee Jung-eun and Kwak Jung-hye claimed the first podium finish with 1,748 points, defeating China that took 1,747 points. India scored 1,729 for bronze.It is South Korea’s first team gold in the women’s shooting at the Asiad under way in the country’s western city of Incheon and the second pistol medal of the day. Hours earlier, their colleagues gr

More SportsSept. 22, 2014

[Asian Games] S. Korea wins gold in 25-meter pistol

[Asian Games] Swimming star Park admits extra pressure

South Korean swimming star Park Tae-hwan, who ended up with the bronze in the men’s 200-meter freestyle at the Asian Games Sunday, surprisingly admitted that he was burdened by the heavy weight of his home country’s expectations.Park finished the race in 1:45.85 at his namesake arena, Munhak Park Tae-hwan Aquatics Center, trailing Kosuke Hagino of Japan and Sun Yang of China.“I think I was quite nervous even before the race began since it is being held in the Republic of Korea (South Korea),” sa

More SportsSept. 22, 2014

[Asian Games] China regains record in 10-meter rifle

After referees’ reversal of their earlier decision to disqualify one of its athletes, the Chinese women’s shooting team regained its world record and the gold medal in the 10-meter air rifle event at the Asian Games on Monday.The Chinese trio of Yi Siling, Zhang Binbin and Wu Liuxi combined for 1253.8 points to win the team gold at Ongnyeon International Shooting Range, breaking the previous world record set by their own teammates last year by 0.1 point.It is the first world record from shooting

More SportsSept. 22, 2014