https://www.scmp.com/rss/509922/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com In early August in Denmark, Zhang Lianying’s WeChat notifications pinged, indicating that he had received a voice message. When he listened on his phone, he heard a recording in Mandarin that said simply: “I don’t know what to say. Thank you very much.” The note of gratitude came from Viktor Axelsen, a Danish badminton player who, minutes before, had just won his first Olympics gold medal by beating defending champion Chen Long in the men’s singles tournament. Zhang is Axelsen’s technical coach,... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3144497/tokyo-olympics-how-danish-golden-dragon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3144497/tokyo-olympics-how-danish-golden-dragon?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Aug 2021 07:58:08 +0000 Sarah Lee Wai-sze’s remarkable rise to cycling’s elite tier goes beyond the awards and silverware. From struggling with anaemia as a child, to nearly giving up the sport after a nasty collision as a teen, to the sudden loss of her coach and personal starter, to learning her friend and rival was confined to a wheelchair after a training crash – Lee has been through it all, and would be the first to tell you she is still going. The 34-year-old has repeatedly swatted aside talk of age leading up to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3144168/tokyo-olympics-who-sarah-lee-wai-sze-anaemic-housing-estate-youth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3144168/tokyo-olympics-who-sarah-lee-wai-sze-anaemic-housing-estate-youth?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Aug 2021 02:00:16 +0000 The latest Hong Kong medal contender to take home a Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games medal, karate exponent Grace Lau Mo-sheung finally got her once-in-a-lifetime moment after circling among the world elite for as long as she can remember. Lau won bronze after a super performance in the Nippon Budokan in what could be the first and last time karate features at a Games. It was one of four non-permanent sports added to Tokyo, with Paris 2024 already confirming it will not make an appearance. The entire... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3143615/tokyo-olympics-grace-lau-mo-sheung-trailblazing-karateka-set?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3143615/tokyo-olympics-grace-lau-mo-sheung-trailblazing-karateka-set?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Aug 2021 04:00:24 +0000 Heptathlete Zheng Ninali has made history at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium where she became China’s first naturalised Olympian and fulfilled her grandmother’s Olympic dream. The 22-year-old was previously known as Nina Schultz and competed for Canada, including winning a silver at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018 where she finished second to Britain’s Olympic champion Katerina Johnson-Thompson. Tokyo Olympics: Will China beat Japan (and the US) at their own Games? Born in New... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3143732/tokyo-olympics-zheng-ninali-makes-history-chinas-first-naturalised?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3143732/tokyo-olympics-zheng-ninali-makes-history-chinas-first-naturalised?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Aug 2021 02:40:13 +0000 American diving legend Greg Louganis remembers the first time he met Jordan Windle, the 22-year-old who is the first diver of Cambodian descent to compete in an Olympic Games. It was at a sushi restaurantin Ford Lauderdale, Florida, recalled Louganis, now 61. Doodling on a notepad, a young Windle asked: “Mr Louganis, what do you do when the other divers talk smack about you?” Recounting the episode to This Week in Asia, Louganis, an LGBTI activist and holder of five Olympic medals, replied: “I... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3143712/how-us-olympic-diver-jordan-windle-went-cambodian-orphanage-tokyo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3143712/how-us-olympic-diver-jordan-windle-went-cambodian-orphanage-tokyo?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Aug 2021 00:00:26 +0000 The congratulatory messages have been flooding in for Hong Kong superstar Siobhan Bernadette Haughey after her Olympic silver medal-winning, Asian record-breaking feat in Tokyo. But there is one that will stand out above the rest for the home-grown winner as she attempts to return to Earth. “We are very proud that through her hard work, dedication and determination – with the benefit of great coaches at each stage in her career and excellent support professionals throughout – Siobhan has... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3142754/tokyo-olympics-siobhan-haughey-hong-kong-olympic-finalist-who-lived?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3142754/tokyo-olympics-siobhan-haughey-hong-kong-olympic-finalist-who-lived?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jul 2021 23:30:19 +0000 His name may be on every Hongkonger’s lips after his surreal run at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, but men’s foil hero Edgar Cheung Ka-long has long been collecting elite-level medals under the radar. The world No 19, who clinched a historic men’s singles gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on Monday, was crowned Asian champion aged 18, won Hong Kong’s first fencing World Cup medal, and boasts wins over several world number ones and Olympic gold medallists. Those who tuned into the Tokyo... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3142619/tokyo-olympics-cheung-ka-long-unassuming-fencing-hero-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3142619/tokyo-olympics-cheung-ka-long-unassuming-fencing-hero-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jul 2021 16:25:21 +0000 Hollywood star and UNHCR special envoy Angelina Jolie praised the “strength and resilience” of athletes from the IOC Refugee Olympic Team as she heard the story of swimmer Yusra Mardini, who swam three and a half hours in the Aegean Sea after fleeing war-torn Syria. The 46-year-old Jolie, who won an Oscar for her role in 1999 movie Girl, Interrupted, chatted virtually with Mardini, Paralympic swimmer Abbas Karimi (Afghanistan) and runner Anjelina Nadai Lohalith (South Sudan) ahead of the 2020... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3141638/tokyo-olympics-angelina-jolie-hears-how-refugee-athlete-swam-31/2-hours-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3141638/tokyo-olympics-angelina-jolie-hears-how-refugee-athlete-swam-31/2-hours-after?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jul 2021 09:00:09 +0000 Tegla Loroupe only knew of the danger once she arrived at the refugee camp in Dadaab, about 480km northeast of Kenya’s capital Nairobi, close to Somalia. She was not safe, security at the UNHCR facility told her, and she must return to Nairobi immediately. They said that during her eight-hour drive to Dadaab, on a perilous road patrolled by various militant groups, a vehicle following hers was ambushed by unknown gunmen and a UN teacher kidnapped. Loroupe, the IOC Refugee Olympic Team’s chef de... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3141556/tokyo-2020-who-mama-tegla-loroupe-growing-amid-conflict-and-hardship-makes-ex?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3141556/tokyo-2020-who-mama-tegla-loroupe-growing-amid-conflict-and-hardship-makes-ex?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jul 2021 00:00:20 +0000 When it comes to boxing in the Philippines, there is and always will be one name synonymous with the sport: Manny Pacquiao. The legendary pugilist is regarded as one of the sport’s best, and is revered at home where he currently sits as a senator. However, there is a rising star in the country, and while he may never scale the heights of the great “PacMan”, Eumir Felix Marcial could grab gold for his country in Tokyo this year. Biography Marcial was born on October 25, 1995 in Zamboanga City.... https://www.scmp.com/sport/boxing/article/3140769/eumir-marcial-biography-fight-record-manny-pacquiao-advice-turning-pro?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/boxing/article/3140769/eumir-marcial-biography-fight-record-manny-pacquiao-advice-turning-pro?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jul 2021 07:39:20 +0000 Warning: graphic content follows Poet, raconteur, Muslim role model, loving husband and father, survivor, influencer and world-class athlete. Malaysian track cyclist Azizulawang Hasni has taken on iconic status is his home country, gaining fame for a gruesome calf injury suffered in 2011 and earning glory by winning a keirin bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Known as the “Pocket Rocketman”, the 1.69m track star is among the favourites for gold in the men’s keirin in Tokyo... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3139906/who-azizulhasni-awang-malaysias-olympic-bronze-winning-cyclist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3139906/who-azizulhasni-awang-malaysias-olympic-bronze-winning-cyclist?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jul 2021 00:00:26 +0000 Coming off a near-flawless senior national team debut at the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers in June, Filipino basketball prodigy Kai Sotto is ready to make an even bigger name for himself. At just 19, the towering centre has long been considered Asia’s next big NBA hope. Sotto simultaneously carries the dreams of 108 million Filipino people waiting for their first full-blooded basketball player in the world’s top league. Though his last two years have been heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3139842/kai-sotto-biography-height-father-nba-draft-nbl-move-and-filipino?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3139842/kai-sotto-biography-height-father-nba-draft-nbl-move-and-filipino?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jul 2021 06:40:52 +0000 Four-time Olympic gold medallist Simone Biles is the USA’s most decorated artistic gymnast, but the magnitude of her influence goes well beyond floors, beams and vaults. The 24-year-old’s domination of the sport, which includes an unprecedented 19 world championships, seven US all-around titles, and many more sporting awards across various categories, would only widen should she medal again at the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Biles has often spoken out about racial and gender... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3139766/simone-biles-biography-height-yurchenko-double-pike-and-repeating?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3139766/simone-biles-biography-height-yurchenko-double-pike-and-repeating?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jul 2021 07:26:22 +0000 Joseph Schooling became an overnight sensation in the swimming world with one race at a key point in his career, beating his childhood idol in the process. Now looking to build on that result, we take a look at the swim star who is hoping lightning strikes twice five years later as he tries to grab gold again in Tokyo. Biography The 26-year-old is Singapore’s first and only gold medallist, which puts him in a category all of his own. He was born in the city state on June 16, 1995 and is a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3139318/joseph-schooling-biography-ethnicity-2016-olympics-medal-earnings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3139318/joseph-schooling-biography-ethnicity-2016-olympics-medal-earnings?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Jun 2021 08:57:45 +0000 Yohan Blake is quite literally the second-fastest man on the planet with his 100-metre and 200m personal bests just milliseconds behind former Jamaica teammate Usain Bolt. There was a time when the two-time Olympic gold medallist was considered to be even more promising than his countryman, as Blake is still the holder the Jamaican junior national 100m record and is the youngest-ever 100m world champion. In 2008, Bolt told fans to “watch out for Yohan Blake” because he “works like a beast and is... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3139315/yohan-blake-biography-top-speed-jamaican-national-records-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3139315/yohan-blake-biography-top-speed-jamaican-national-records-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Jun 2021 08:45:13 +0000 When it comes to table tennis, there is no name more synonymous with the sport right now than Ma Long. The three-time Olympics gold medallist and the reigning singles Olympic champion is set for Tokyo 2020 and a stab at table tennis immortality. The Chinese player, who is known for having the sport’s most aggressive forehand, will look to add to his trove of titles this summer. But who is the man so synonymous with table tennis? Biography The 32-year-old was born on October 20, 1988 and hails... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3139175/ma-long-biography-playing-style-career-earnings-and-he-greatest-table?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3139175/ma-long-biography-playing-style-career-earnings-and-he-greatest-table?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Jun 2021 00:00:23 +0000 Twenty-year-old Japanese swimmer Shoma Sato is making a massive splash in Japan ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. At April’s national championships, which doubled as the country’s Olympic trials, the relatively unknown teenager exceeded all expectations by smashing the Japanese record in the men’s 200-metre breaststroke with a time of two minutes, 6.40 seconds. Sato, who The Japan Times called a “rising star”, not only set a new Japanese and Asian record, but posted the second fastest time ever... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3139126/shoma-sato-biography-tokyo-olympics-preferred-stroke-asian-record-and-isl?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3139126/shoma-sato-biography-tokyo-olympics-preferred-stroke-asian-record-and-isl?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Jun 2021 05:22:16 +0000 If you ask a rugby sevens fan for the first word or image that pops into their mind when thinking about the sport, it will most likely surround the mystical Fiji men’s national team. They are the reigning and only Olympic champions – rugby sevens was included for the first time at the Rio 2016 Games – and are the only Olympic medallists in the South Pacific country’s history. They are four-time World Rugby Sevens Series winners, two-time Rugby World Cup Sevens winners, and the only country to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/international-rugby/article/3138939/fiji-mens-rugby-sevens-team-biography-olympic-gold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/international-rugby/article/3138939/fiji-mens-rugby-sevens-team-biography-olympic-gold?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jun 2021 00:00:22 +0000 Rumoured to be on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games opening ceremony flag-bearer shortlist, history-making NBA player Rui Hachimura’s stock could explode in a month’s time. The 23-year-old Japanese-Beninese forward is fresh off his best season so far with the Washington Wizards, where he gained plaudits from the likes of triple-double record-breaking teammate Russell Westbrook. From “trying to hide from people” as a mixed child in Japan, to becoming the first Japanese player ever to be drafted in the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3138938/rui-hachimura-family-and-mixed-race-heritage-making-nba-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3138938/rui-hachimura-family-and-mixed-race-heritage-making-nba-history?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Jun 2021 10:37:38 +0000 When it comes to notable Olympic athletes who are also celebrities in their own right, British diver Tom Daley is somewhere near the top of that list. This summer he will compete in the 10-metre platform and 10m synchro platform events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. So who is the social media-friendly Briton? Biography The 27-year-old four-time Olympic veteran, hails from Plymouth, England, was vaulted into the media stratosphere when he made his Olympic debut at the age of 14. Since then he has... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3138912/tom-daley-biography-his-first-olympic-games-his-fourth-having-son-and-social?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3138912/tom-daley-biography-his-first-olympic-games-his-fourth-having-son-and-social?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Jun 2021 06:01:09 +0000 Japan’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games rugby teams have the opportunity to match the men’s 15s Rugby World Cup heroics of two years ago and further cement the nation as the next rugby hub. Though the Brave Blossoms and Sakura Sevens automatically qualified for next month’s Games as the home nation, they have proven time and again to be one of Asia’s top teams and are certainly worthy of a spot. Anticipation was red hot for rugby at the Tokyo Games, with fans well in the mood after the men’s 15s famous... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/international-rugby/article/3138553/japans-olympics-rugby-teams-biography-star-players?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/international-rugby/article/3138553/japans-olympics-rugby-teams-biography-star-players?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jun 2021 05:46:32 +0000 Yuka Saso made history on Sunday night when she beat Japan’s Nasa Hataoka in a play-off to win the women’s US Open, coming from behind to take the chance from third-round leader Lexi Thompson. Saso, just 19, became the joint youngest winner of the event with South Korea’s Inbee Park – both of them won the US Women’s Open at 19, years, 11 months and 17 days. The teenager entered the tournament in San Francisco’s Olympic Club as the No 40 on the Rolex Rankings and not officially a member of the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3136323/who-yuka-saso-philippine-japanese-teen-us-open-champion-cusp-olympic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3136323/who-yuka-saso-philippine-japanese-teen-us-open-champion-cusp-olympic?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Jun 2021 06:18:36 +0000