The Korea Herald

Potential golden day for S. Korea on ice

Reigning Olympic speed skating champion Mo Tae-bum will try to defend his gold medal in the men's 500 meters on Monday at the Sochi Winter Games, while short trackers will try to add to South Korea's legacy in the sport.Skaters must complete two 500ｍ races to determine the medal winners. Mo's coach, Kevin Crockett, once said skating twice works to Mo's advantage because of his consistency.In short track, the men's 1,500ｍ finals will be the first medal event, where Sin Da-woon, the 2013 world ove

Olympic GamesFeb. 10, 2014

No talks on joint Korean team for 2018 Games

South Korean organizers of the 2018 Winter Olympics say there have been no talks with North Korea about forming a joint team for the games.Leaders of the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, who are in Sochi to observe operations, marked the four-year countdown Sunday to the start of the first Winter Olympics in Korea.Pyeongchang is located in northeast South Korea near the demilitarized zone that separates the two Koreas. Its province was divided between the North and South Korean sides after the 1950-53

Olympic GamesFeb. 10, 2014

Speed skater hoping to take home Olympic medal for ailing brother

South Korean speed skater Noh Seon-yeong is competing at her third Winter Olympics in Russia this month, but she likely never felt the weight that she is carrying now.When Noh, 24, took the ice at Adler Arena Skating Center for the women's 3,000 meters, the first of her three events in Sochi, she did so with her ailing brother, former short track world champion Noh Jin-kyu, on her mind.Jin-kyu, 21, has been diagnosed with bone cancer in his left shoulder and has been prescribed chemotherapy. He

Olympic GamesFeb. 10, 2014

Speed skater hoping to take home Olympic medal for ailing brother

Walker in control at Pebble

PEBBLE BEACH, California (AP) ― Jimmy Walker had a hot hand in the cold wind Saturday and built a six-shot lead in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.Walker made his first bogey of the tournament, and that hardly slowed him. He countered with five birdies in 30 mph gusts at Monterey Peninsula for a 4-under 67, leaving him on the verge of his third PGA Tour victory this season.He was at 13-under 202.Tim Wilkinson of New Zealand had a 69 and Hunter Mahan had a 72, both at Monterey Peninsula. Th

GolfFeb. 9, 2014

Chelsea moves to top of EPL

LONDON (AP) ― This season at Chelsea, the Special One might well be Eden Hazard. The Belgium international produced another superb display on Saturday, scoring a hat trick as Jose Mourinho’s team moved top of the Premier League with a 3-0 win over Newcastle while its main rivals in the race for the title struggled on the road.Liverpool exposed previous leader Arsenal’s frailties in a 5-1 drubbing of the Gunners at Anfield and third-placed Manchester City was held to a goalless draw at Norwich.Ha

SoccerFeb. 9, 2014

Dodgers open spring training with confidence

GLENDALE, Arizona (AP) ― With high expectations and an abundance of talent, Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers and catchers reported for spring training on Saturday.The reigning NL West champs gathered earlier than usual to prepare for a two-game opening series against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Sydney, Australia, on March 22-23.While nothing’s official at such an early date, manager Don Mattingly did nothing to dampen the belief that Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, the potent one-two punch at the

BaseballFeb. 9, 2014

Dodgers open spring training with confidence

Bjoerndalen oldest to win winter gold

KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia (AP) ― Ole Einar Bjoerndalen had just become the oldest Winter Olympic individual gold medalist ― at age 40 ― when he was hugged by a fellow Norwegian whose records he might soon overtake.Cross-country skiing great Bjoern Daehlie embraced Bjoerndalen in the finish area Saturday, shortly after the biathlete had pulled off an upset win in the men’s 10-kilometer sprint at the Sochi Games.Bjoerndalen beat the age record held by Canadian skeleton racer Duff Gibson, who was 39

Olympic GamesFeb. 9, 2014

U.S., Canadians dismiss talk of figure skating 'fix'

United States and Canadian figure skating officials on Saturday dismissed reports of a possible judging fix to ensure that Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White would win the Olympic ice dancing gold.French magazine L'Equipe, citing an unnamed Russian source, reported that a deal had been struck between the United States and Russia to ensure that the Americans would take the title ahead of Olympic champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada.It claimed that the United States would support t

Olympic GamesFeb. 9, 2014

U.S., Canadians dismiss talk of figure skating 'fix'

Speed skater to take ice with heavy heart

When speed skater Noh Seon-young takes the ice for the women's 3,000 meters at Adler Arena Skating Center at the Sochi Winter Olympics on Sunday, she will do so with a heavy heart.Noh, 24, is an older sister of former short track world champion Noh Jin-kyu, who was forced to miss Sochi while battling bone cancer. The siblings have both qualified for the Olympics, but the brother broke his elbow during a practice in January that ruled him out of the Olympics.Noh also underwent surgery to remove a

Olympic GamesFeb. 9, 2014

Speed skater to take ice with heavy heart

Speed skater Lee Seung-hoon finishes 12th in men's 5,000 meters

South Korean speed skater Lee Seung-hoon finished a disappointing 12th in the men's 5,000 meters at the Sochi Winter Olympics on Saturday. At Adler Arena Skating Center, Lee finished the race in 6:25.61, coming up well short of winning his second straight Olympic medal in the event. At the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Lee won the silver medal for South Korea's first medal there. Lee will try to defend his Olympic title in the 10,000ｍ on Feb.18. He's also slated to compete in the tea

Olympic GamesFeb. 8, 2014

Speed skater Lee Seung-hoon finishes 12th in men's 5,000 meters

N. Korea reports start of Sochi Olympics despite its absence

North Korea reported the opening of the Sochi Winter Olympic Games in Russia Friday, despite its absence there.In a series of reports from Sochi, the North's official Korean Central News Agency said Kim Yong-nam, the North's titular head of state, held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, following his attendance in the opening ceremony for the 22nd Winter Olympic Games.Kim, president of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, or parliament, also met with the presidents of Mongol

Olympic GamesFeb. 8, 2014

Korea 60th nation to enter stadium

South Korea will be represented by its largest Winter Games delegation, with 71 athletes and 49 officials. The country will participate in every sport except ice hockey. Veteran speed skater Lee Kyou-hyuk, competing in his sixth Olympics, served as a flag bearer for South Korea at the ceremony.He has participated in more Olympics than any other South Korean.Under the official name the Republic of Korea, South Korea was the 60th nation to enter the stadium, according to the alphabetical order of

Olympic GamesFeb. 8, 2014

Sochi Olympics kick off with grand opening

Music, dance and plenty of Russian bravado unleashed the ultimate achievement of Vladimir Putin's Russia on Friday _ a Winter Olympics to showcase the best athletes on ice and snow that the world has to offer.The opening ceremony on the edge of the Black Sea and subsequent games are Russia's chance to tell its story of post-Soviet resurrection to the world, and dispel the anger, fear and suspicion that has marred the buildup to these most expensive Olympics ever.Just after the sun set over the C

Olympic GamesFeb. 8, 2014

Sochi Olympics kick off with grand opening

Glitzy ceremony opens Olympics

SOCHI, Russia (AP) ― It’s designed to celebrate a millennium of Russian might and this country’s modern rebound, and kick off two weeks of extraordinary human endeavors and planetary sportsmanship. But the ceremony opening the Sochi Olympics on Friday, more than anything, was about one man: Vladimir Putin. He charmed and strong-armed his way to hosting the Games at a summer beach resort that he envisioned as a winter paradise. He stared down terrorist threats and worldwide wrath at a scarcely ve

Olympic GamesFeb. 7, 2014

Woods to skip WGC Match Play

LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― Tiger Woods made it official on Thursday, confirming on his website that he’ll skip the WGC Match Play Championship this month.The world number one announced that his next tournament will be the U.S. PGA Tour‘s Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Feb. 27-March 2.After that he’ll play the World Golf Championships Cadillac Championship at Doral near Miami, and the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Orlando ― in both of which he is the defending champion.The WGC

GolfFeb. 7, 2014

Molinari in 4-way tie for early lead at Joburg Open

JOHANNESBURG (AP) ― Edoardo Molinari was in a four-way tie for the first-round lead at the European Tour’s Joburg Open with his 7-under-par 64 on Thursday. The Italian, chasing a British Open place as well as his first title in four years, was joined by Scottish pair Alastair Forsyth and Craig Lee and South African Justin Walters. A 2010 Ryder Cup winner, Molinari opened with three straight birdies at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington and collected eight in all on the par-71 West Course. “The fr

GolfFeb. 7, 2014

Korea set to go for third straight top-10 finish

South Korean athletes are set to go for another top-10 finish in the medal tally in the 2014 Winter Olympics, which kick off in Sochi, Russia, Friday. Officials of the Korean Olympic Committee have said that the goal is to win at least four gold medals, which could place the country in the top 10 for the third straight time. The Wall Street Journal forecasts the country to place joint fifth with Russia and the Netherlands in terms of the number of gold medals, or sixth in the total medal tally.

SportsFeb. 6, 2014

U.N. chief denounces discrimination

SOCHI, Russia (AP) ― U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned attacks and discrimination against homosexuals on Thursday, touching on the gay rights issue in Russia that has overshadowed preparations for the Sochi Olympics.In a speech to the IOC a day before the opening of the games, Ban also reiterated his call for warring parties around the world to lay down their arms during the Olympics.Ban said many professional athletes, gay and straight, are speaking out against prejudice and discrimi

More SportsFeb. 6, 2014

Madrid, Barcelona bag wins

MADRID (AP) ― Real Madrid and Barcelona had comfortable victories in the first legs of their Copa del Rey semifinals on Wednesday night.Real beat defending champion Atletico Madrid 3-0 to extend its unbeaten streak to 22 games and end Atletico’s unbeaten run at 23 matches.Pepe scored in the 17th minute, Jese Rodriguez in the 57th and Angel Di Maria in the 73rd at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.Real is 18-0-4 in all competitions since a league loss at Barcelona on Oct. 26. Atletico, the La Liga leader

SoccerFeb. 6, 2014

Chief organizer of PyeongChang carries torch

SOCHI, Russia (Yonhap) ― Kim Jin-sun, the chief organizer of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea’s PyeongChang, on Wednesday carried the Olympic torch in Sochi.With the 2014 Winter Games just two days away, Kim carried the Olympic flame for 200 meters in the Adler district in the host city.PyeongChang will be the first South Korean host of a Winter Games in four years’ time. The east coast resort town won the bid to host the quadrennial event in its third try, after losing out to Vancouver a

Olympic GamesFeb. 6, 2014

Chief organizer of PyeongChang carries torch