Park admits world No. 1 up for grabs

SINGAPORE (AFP) ― Park In-bee admitted she was resigned to the prospect of losing the world’s top ranking with Suzann Pettersen breathing down her neck at this week’s HSBC Women’s Champions in Singapore.The South Korean starlet swept three major titles in 2013 and she made a fast start to her season last week in Thailand, carding six-under 66 on Sunday to finish second.But Park, 25, said she expected a shift in the rankings with Norway’s Pettersen capable of catching her this week, and defending

GolfFeb. 26, 2014

Kim takes top Sochi moment

Figure skater Kim Yu-na staged the most memorable performance among South Korean athletes during the Sochi Olympics, but the judging controversy over her silver medal gave Koreans a negative impression of the Russian-held event, a poll showed Wednesday.According to the phone survey of 606 South Koreans, taken by Korea Gallup on Monday and Tuesday, 55 percent said they were most impressed by the iconic figure skating star who put together a flawless short program and free skate over two pressure-

Olympic GamesFeb. 26, 2014

Olympiakos sinks United 2-0 in Champions League

PIRAEUS, Greece (AP) ― Just when Manchester United thought its troubled season couldn’t get any worse, it did.The English power slumped to a 2-0 loss at Olympiakos in its second-round Champions League opener on Tuesday night, leaving manager David Moyes on the brink of a trophyless first season at Old Trafford.“It’s the worst performance in Europe, that’s for sure. It was a very poor performance, and we didn’t deserve to get anything. To a man there was nothing,” said Moyes, who took over last s

SoccerFeb. 26, 2014

‘Apologize to Adelina Sotnikova’

A Russian citizen launched an online petition demanding an apology from Korean netizens for insulting Olympic figure skating champion Adelina Sotnikova on Monday. 　“Not only Russians, but experts from other countries agree that her program, her performance was really high level,” said the petitioner, going by the name one two, on the petition uploaded to Change.org.　The Russian petitioner, who presumably opened the petition in response to the one in support of South Korean skater Kim Yu-na, expl

Olympic GamesFeb. 26, 2014

What fashion designers think of figure skating costumes

Fast Company reported three fashion designers‘ critiques of figure skating costumes. New York-based women’s wear designer Ann Yee and Danielle and Jodie Snyder of New York-based jewelry line Dannijo looked through skaters’ costumes.Yulia Lipnitskaya of Russia skated in a red dress to the theme of Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler‘s List.” She was inspired by the film’s iconic character, “the girl in the red coat.” “This costume is really beautiful,” Yee said. “Elegant yet edgy, this one‘s definitely

SportsFeb. 26, 2014

Russian media calls Viktor Ahn ‘Koryo-in’　

Viktor Ahn, hailed as a national hero in Russia after winning three gold medals at the Sochi Winter Olympics, is being called Кореец, or Koryo-in (ethnic Koreans), by his adopted country, a local media outlet reported. 　Ahn is making headlines in Russia after his stunning performance at the Olympics, with the Russian press including the state-run news agency RIA Novosti using the term “Koryo-in” when referring to him, according to news website Newsroh.　Koryo-in is the term used for ethnic Korean

Olympic GamesFeb. 26, 2014

Gold medalist Sotnikova’s Facebook activities come under scrutiny

While debate lingers over who deserved the gold in women’s figure skating at the Sochi Olympics, controversial gold medalist Adelina Sotnikova of Russia is creating new online buzz after she reportedly “liked” photos of South Korean figure skater Kim Yu-na on Facebook. 　The newly-crowned Olympic champion recently followed one of Kim Yu-na’s fans on Facebook and “liked” some of the photos of the Sochi Olympic silver medalist, Korean media outlet Newsen reported. 　The Russian even “liked” a photo

Olympic GamesFeb. 25, 2014

Korea falls short of medals goal in Sochi

SOCHI, Russia (Yonhap) ― The speed skaters gritted their teeth to the finish line. The short trackers fell and got up, only to fall down again. The figure skating icon may or may not have gotten the short end of the judging stick.Add that up, and South Korea fell shy of its goal of winning four gold medals and finishing in the top 10 at the Sochi Winter Olympics ― a publicly stated objective that, hindsight being 20-20, may have been a tad ambitious.South Korea did grab three gold medals, but fi

Olympic GamesFeb. 24, 2014

S. Korea, Russia to cooperate on Games

Seoul and Moscow have agreed to boost cooperation to successfully host the next Winter Games in the South Korean city of PyeongChang, the government here said Monday.The commitment was made during a meeting between South Korean Prime Minister Chung Hong-won and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday in the Russian city of Sochi before the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics.Congratulating Russia on taking the top spot in the medal standings, Chung asked for Russia’s “interest in and supp

Olympic GamesFeb. 24, 2014

Controversy persists over figure skating results

The gold medalist was already decided in ladies’ figure skating at the Sochi Olympic Games, but the surprising outcome continues to create a stir at home and abroad. 　A slew of foreign news reports have sympathized with Koreans enraged by “home-cooked” judging, raising a question over the “opaque judging system.”　However, some believe the embattled judges got the result “right” this time despite the possible collusion that may have taken place.  　The New York Times viewed the South Korean figure

Olympic GamesFeb. 24, 2014

Eyes on Korea as PyeongChang readies to host next Winter Olympics

As the 2014 Winter Olympics drew to a close here in Russia, the eyes of the sporting world turned to the South Korean town of PyeongChang, the host of the next Winter Games in 2018.The Olympic Flag was handed over from Sochi to PyeongChang during the closing ceremony at Fisht Olympic Stadium on Sunday, and it will be kept in the South Korean host over the next four years.It will have been a long time coming for PyeongChang, some 180 kilometers east of Seoul.PyeongChang won the bid to host the Wi

Olympic GamesFeb. 24, 2014