[BEIJING OLYMPICS] Plagued by injuries, luger set to retire after Beijing

BEIJING -- Still feeling effects of career-threatening injuries she suffered three years ago, South Korean luger Aileen Frisch feels the time has come for her to leave the sport for good. And she wants to make her second and final Winter Olympics here in Beijing a memorable one. "I think (Beijing 2022) will be my last big competition as an athlete. Therefore, I really want to perform my best," Frisch said after her training run Thursday at Yanqing National Sliding Centre in Yanqing D

Olympic GamesFeb. 4, 2022

[BEIJING OLYMPICS] Pandemic or not, here comes Beijing -- again

BEIJING -- In August 2008, Beijing took center stage as the host of the Summer Olympics, with the quadrennial athletic competition serving as China's coming-out party. Nearly 14 years later, Beijing is under the spotlight again as the host of the 2022 Winter Olympics. Once the Games are officially declared open later Friday at the National Stadium -- the same stage for the ceremonies of the 2008 event -- Beijing will become the first city to host both a Summer and a Winter Games. Things today

Olympic GamesFeb. 4, 2022

[BEIJING OLYMPICS] S. Korea going for inaugural Olympic title in short track's mixed team relay

BEIJING -- South Korea has been the most successful country in Olympic short track speed skating history with 24 gold medals, and it will look to add to that total in a relay event making its debut at the Beijing Winter Games on Saturday. Following Friday's opening ceremony, the first medals of Beijing 2022 will be awarded Saturday. South Korea's first shot at a medal will come in the mixed team relay at Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing. The inaugural relay race is 2,000 meters long, or 18 la

Olympic GamesFeb. 4, 2022

[Graphic News] Athletes to watch at Beijing Olympics

　The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics officially begin today.  　It‘s the second Olympics to take place under strict COVID-19 restrictions, as the global pandemic enters its third year. 　South Korea has sent 64 athletes competing in six sports and set a modest goal of winning one or two gold medals and finishing around the top 15 in the medal race.  　Short track champion Choi Min-jeong, skeleton slider Yun Sung-bin and snowboarder Lee Sang-ho are contenders to vie for the spotligh

SportsFeb. 4, 2022

S. Korea to face China in Women's Asian Cup final

The last hurdle for South Korea to clear in the top Asian women's football tournament will be China. South Korea booked a spot in the final of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Asian Cup on Thursday by beating the Philippines 2-0 in the semifinals in India. Later that night, China set up a date with South Korea by edging out Japan 4-3 in a penalty shootout. The final will be Sunday at DV Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, kicking off at 4:30 p.m. local time or 8 p.m. in Seoul. South K

SoccerFeb. 4, 2022

S. Korea reach Women's Asian Cup final for 1st time

South Korea defeated the Philippines 2-0 on Thursday to reach the final of the top Asian women's football tournament for the first time. Cho So-hyun and Son Hwa-yeon had a goal apiece to help South Korea knock off the Philippines in the semifinals of the Asian Football Confederation Women's Asian Cup in India. South Korea will face the winner of the other semifinal match scheduled for Thursday, between China and the two-time defending champions Japan. South Korea have yet to win the AFC title

SoccerFeb. 3, 2022

[BEIJING OLYMPICS] Rising star in skeleton wants to trust himself more

BEIJING -- Jung Seung-gi, the rising star in South Korean men's skeleton, will be competing in his first Winter Olympics in Beijing this month. But this isn't his first taste of the Olympic experience. Four years ago in the South Korean alpine town of PyeongChang, Jung had the honor of carrying the Olympic Flag into the Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremony, along with three other teenage athletes. Now 22, Jung will be carrying the hope of a nation starving for the next big thing in slidi

Olympic GamesFeb. 3, 2022

[BEIJING OLYMPICS] Reigning skeleton gold medalist still pessimistic after initial training

BEIJING -- After his first training run through the Olympic track, South Korean Olympic skeleton champion Yun Sung-bin remained as pessimistic about his chances as ever. At a media conference near the end of January, Yun, the 2018 men's singles gold medalist, had given a brutally honest self-assessment, saying he didn't regard himself as a medal contender for the Beijing Winter Games. Yun struggled through the most recent International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF) World Cup season

Olympic GamesFeb. 3, 2022

World Cup-bound S. Korea overcome shaky moments, make adjustments in momentous win

They say all is well that ends well, and South Korea ultimately got the job done by defeating Syria in Dubai on Tuesday to clinch an early World Cup spot. But the process left much to be desired, as South Korea caught some lucky breaks en route to a 2-0 win in their latest match of the final Asian World Cup qualifying round. The victory in Dubai has sent South Korea to their 10th consecutive World Cup. South Korea coach Paulo Bento tweaked his starting lineup from the one that produced a 1-0 v

SoccerFeb. 2, 2022

S. Korea coach not letting up after early qualification for FIFA World Cup

With two matches remaining in the final Asian qualifying round for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, South Korea have already claimed a ticket to Qatar for the big tournament. They blanked Syria 2-0 in their latest Group A match at Rashid Stadium in Dubai on Tuesday, and guaranteed themselves one of two automatic berths out of the group, alongside Iran. Iran lead South Korea 22-20 in points, and they will play each other on March 24 in South Korea. With the top seed in the group still up for grabs, Sou

SoccerFeb. 2, 2022

S. Korea qualify for 2022 FIFA World Cup

South Korea have clinched an early berth for the 2022 FIFA World Cup with their latest victory in the ongoing qualification phase. Kim Jin-su and Kwon Chang-hoon had a goal apiece to push South Korea past Syria 2-0 in Group A action in Dubai on Tuesday (local time) in the final Asian qualifying round for the World Cup. The match took place at Rashid Stadium in Dubai as the neutral venue, with the war-torn Syria unable to host matches. The victory assured South Korea of at least the second seed

SoccerFeb. 2, 2022

Following elbow surgery, Choo Shin-soo to join Landers' spring training in mid-Feb.

Former major league All-Star Choo Shin-soo will report to his second South Korean baseball spring training behind schedule following an offseason elbow operation, an official with the club said Wednesday. Choo, the veteran outfielder and designated hitter for the SSG Landers, had surgery on his left elbow in November in the United States, trying to fix ligament damage that had compromised him as an outfielder late last season. The Landers will open camp Monday, and the team official said Choo w

BaseballJan. 26, 2022

Sports minister to head S. Korean gov't delegation to Beijing 2022

Hwang Hee, the minister of culture, sports and tourism, will lead the South Korean government delegation to the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics, his ministry said Tuesday. With President Moon Jae-in not traveling to the Chinese capital for the Feb. 4-20 competition, the government decided to make Hwang, the top Cabinet minister for sports, the chief delegate, according to the ministry. 　In Beijing, Hwang will attend the opening ceremony on Feb. 4, and support and encourage South Korean athl

Olympic GamesJan. 25, 2022

S. Korea to send its 3rd-largest Winter Olympics team to Beijing 2022

South Korea announced Tuesday it will have 63 athletes compete in six sports during the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics. It will be the country's third-largest athletic delegation to the Winter Games, behind 146 athletes for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics on home soil and 71 athletes for the 2014 event in Sochi, Russia. South Korea will also have 61 officials accompanying those athletes during the Feb. 4-20 competition. The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee has said the goal is to w

Olympic GamesJan. 25, 2022

Minus key players, S. Korea looking to book World Cup spot vs. Lebanon

With or without their captain and best player, South Korea will try to extend their World Cup appearance streak to 10 with a win over Lebanon when the final Asian qualification round resumes this week. South Korea will travel to Sidon for their Group A match against Lebanon at Saida Municipal Stadium on Thursday. The kickoff is at 2 p.m. local time, or 9 p.m. in South Korea. With six out of 10 matches in the books in the ongoing round, South Korea are in second place in Group A with 14 points,

SoccerJan. 25, 2022

Veteran nat'l team striker welcomes competition from younger teammates

Since Paulo Bento took over as head coach of the South Korean men's national football team in August 2018, no Korean player has scored more goals than Hwang Ui-jo's 13. After years of relative anonymity, the 29-year-old forward for FC Girondins de Bordeaux has emerged as the go-to striker for Bento, the safety valve that can find the back of the net in desperate moments. And as South Korea prepare to resume their World Cup qualifying bid this week, Hwang may finally have some worthy opponents i

SoccerJan. 25, 2022

Denied Olympic chance, short tracker cries foul over lack of transparency

A South Korean short track speed skater left off the team for the Beijing Winter Olympics due to an injury is accusing the sport's national federation of lacking transparency in its selection process. In an email statement sent to Yonhap News Agency on Sunday, Kim Ji-yoo said she was "upset" that she was "robbed of my ticket to the Beijing Olympics." "It's something precious and dear to my heart, because I earned it with so much hard work," Kim said. However, whe

More SportsJan. 23, 2022

Beijing-bound figure skater Kim Ye-lim wins bronze in final event before Olympics

South Korean Olympic figure skater Kim Ye-lim set a new personal best en route to winning the bronze medal in her final competition before Beijing 2022. Kim scored 209.91 total points at the International Skating Union Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, on Saturday (local time), finishing in third place behind Mai Mihara of Japan (218.03 points) and fellow South Korean Lee Hae-in (213.52 points). Kim's previous career best had been 202.76 points set at the 2020 Fo

More SportsJan. 23, 2022

Women's curling team hoping to add to fond Olympic memories in Beijing

GANGNEUNG -- The South Korean women's curling team will go on a quest for its second straight Olympic medal at the same Beijing venue where the country's Summer Games history was written nearly 14 years ago. At the Feb. 4-20 Beijing Winter Olympics, curling matches will take place at the National Aquatics Center, which held swimming races when the Chinese capital hosted the 2008 Summer Games. It was there on Aug. 10, 2008, that Park Tae-hwan won gold in the men's 400m freestyle swimming. Park,

Olympic GamesJan. 21, 2022

[BEIJING OLYMPICS] Two-thirds of S. Koreans not interested in Beijing Winter Olympics: poll

Nearly two-thirds of South Koreans have no interest in the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics, a survey showed Friday. Gallup Korea polled 1,002 South Korean adults from Tuesday to Thursday on their thoughts on the Feb. 4-20 Winter Games in the Chinese capital. And 65 percent said they were not interested, compared with 32 percent who showed an interest in the competition. The other 3 percent declined to answer. In the same poll conducted prior to the 2018 Winter Olympics in the South Korean hos

Olympic GamesJan. 21, 2022