https://www.scmp.com/rss/518891/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com As Singaporean kitesurfer Maximilian Maeder gears up for the final of the men’s kite event in sailing, Singapore stands on the cusp of potentially witnessing their first medal – possibly even a gold – at this Olympics. At just 17 years old, Maeder has already cemented his status as a formidable force in the world of kitesurfing and has made a stunning Olympic debut by advancing all the way to the medal round. The world champion has been dubbed the sport’s Max Verstappen, who himself is a Formula... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3273696/paris-olympics-meet-max-maeder-kite-surfer-verge-singapores-second-gold-ever?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3273696/paris-olympics-meet-max-maeder-kite-surfer-verge-singapores-second-gold-ever?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Aug 2024 12:30:14 +0000 When 17-year-old Chinese breakdancer Liu Qingyi beat her Japanese competitor last October, not only did she pocket the first women’s gold medal ever in breakdancing at the Asian Games, she also qualified directly for the Paris Olympics. Born in 2005 in Huixian City of central Henan province, Liu, whose nickname is B-Girl 671, is one of the country’s young, hungry talents, and sits in the higher echelon of the female breakdancing world. Her athletic advancement has been just as impactful and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/china/article/3270709/liu-qingyi-chinas-breaking-prodigy-aiming-make-more-history-paris-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/china/article/3270709/liu-qingyi-chinas-breaking-prodigy-aiming-make-more-history-paris-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Aug 2024 02:00:09 +0000 Allegations of doping in swimming are hardly new, and Pan Zhanle’s achievements in the 100m were bound to raise eyebrows. That they have been questioned was to be expected given the atmosphere surrounding the sport. The latest to take a swipe is Great Britain’s Adam Peaty, competing in what is almost certainly his last Summer Games. A triple Olympic gold medallist, he fell just two hundredths of a second shy of grabbing a fourth in Paris and then watched his team miss out on a medal in the 4x100... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/aquatics/article/3273476/paris-olympics-who-adam-peaty-gold-medallist-accusing-china-swimmers-cheating?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/aquatics/article/3273476/paris-olympics-who-adam-peaty-gold-medallist-accusing-china-swimmers-cheating?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Aug 2024 21:00:10 +0000 At the 2024 China National Track and Field Championships, local hero Wu Yanni clinched the gold medal in the women’s 100-metre hurdles. Not only did the 27-year-old improve her personal record by 0.02 seconds, she also set an Asian best for the season in this event. On Chinese social media, Wu is one of the most popular and talked-about athletes, not only for her remarkable performances on the track but also her tattoos, race-day make-up and outspoken personality, which often clashes with... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/athletics/article/3271010/paris-olympics-hopeful-social-media-star-wu-yanni-tattoos-make-and-fiery-personality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/athletics/article/3271010/paris-olympics-hopeful-social-media-star-wu-yanni-tattoos-make-and-fiery-personality?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Aug 2024 04:00:13 +0000 In absence of Asia’s speediest man Su Bingtian, Xie Zhenye will carry the torch for China’s sprinting aspirations in the Paris Olympics. Holder of the Asian 200-metre record, Xie is eyeing the 100m and 200-metre finals in Paris, in what could be his last Olympic Games. And as the backbone of China’s 4x100-metre relay squad, he will aim for a return to the podium after a Tokyo bronze. While Xie is a sprinter by trade, he is also a champion at overcoming mental hurdles. His journey has been... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3270858/xie-zhenye-chinas-sprinting-hope-olympics-champion-overcoming-mental-hurdles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3270858/xie-zhenye-chinas-sprinting-hope-olympics-champion-overcoming-mental-hurdles?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Aug 2024 05:00:11 +0000 Shanti Pereira is one of the fastest women in Asia. Singapore’s “Sprint Queen” holds the city state’s national records for the 100 and 200 metres, at 11.20 and 22.57 seconds respectively, both set in 2023. Her six medals last year at various continental meets – including Singapore’s first athletics medals at the Asian Games in nearly five decades – catapulted her to household-name status. It was a phenomenal season, all the sweeter for coming after a rough patch lasting several years. Her... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/profiles/article/3270857/paris-olympics-profile-who-shanti-pereira-singapores-sprint-queen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/profiles/article/3270857/paris-olympics-profile-who-shanti-pereira-singapores-sprint-queen?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Aug 2024 02:00:21 +0000 If someone told Siobhan Haughey the sky was the limit, she would try to find a way to swim through it. Throughout her swimming career, Haughey, 26, has advanced wave upon wave and on Wednesday, already the most decorated Hong Kong Olympian, she extended her career haul to four medals. Haughey punched the wall third in the women’s 100 metres freestyle final in the Paris La Defense Arena in 52.33 seconds, finishing 0.17 seconds behind the 52.16 of winner Sarah Sjostrom, the world... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/hong-kong/article/3272716/paris-olympics-who-siobhan-haughey-reluctant-swimmer-hong-kong-medal-machine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/hong-kong/article/3272716/paris-olympics-who-siobhan-haughey-reluctant-swimmer-hong-kong-medal-machine?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Aug 2024 03:00:21 +0000 Only two men’s foil fencers had successfully defended their Olympic throne before Hong Kong’s Cheung Ka-long managed it at Paris’ Grand Palais on Monday. France’s Christian d’Oriola had been the previous one to do it, claiming his second in Melbourne in 1956 four years after winning in Helsinki. Before that, you had to go right back to Nedo Nadi of Italy winning in Stockholm in 1912 then defending it eight years later in Antwerp, with the 1916 Games in Berlin cancelled because of the first world... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3272393/paris-olympics-who-cheung-ka-long-stunning-rise-hong-kongs-double-gold-medallist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3272393/paris-olympics-who-cheung-ka-long-stunning-rise-hong-kongs-double-gold-medallist?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Jul 2024 00:21:50 +0000 Table tennis phenom Fan Zhendong, China’s household name, clinched at least one title each year since emerging on the international scene in 2013. And on Sunday, he topped his already stellar resume with Olympic gold. His triumph over Sweden’s Truls Moregard in the finale in Paris marked an upgrade from his silver medal in Tokyo, earning him the distinction of China’s fifth man to complete a “grand slam” by winning the main prize at the World Championships, World Cup and Olympic Games. The... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3271014/fan-zhendong-chinas-table-tennis-star-looking-complete-grand-slam-olympic-gold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3271014/fan-zhendong-chinas-table-tennis-star-looking-complete-grand-slam-olympic-gold?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Jul 2024 09:00:10 +0000 Hong Kong épéeist Vivian Kong Man-wai had been on the podium for every major tournament in which she had competed, except the Olympics – until now. On Saturday, the women’s world No 1 made history by becoming only the third Hongkonger to have Olympic gold draped around her neck. Windsurfer Lee Lai-shan was the first at Atlanta 1996 and fellow fencer Cheung Ka-long struck gold in Tokyo in 2021. But Kong’s medal, Hong Kong’s first at the Paris Olympics, came with added significance, because it was... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3270106/paris-olympics-fencer-vivian-kong-and-her-singular-pursuit-spot-games-podium?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3270106/paris-olympics-fencer-vivian-kong-and-her-singular-pursuit-spot-games-podium?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Jul 2024 06:00:11 +0000 Shuttler Loh Kean Yew ignited a roar to his home crowd when he stunned the world No 7 to net Singapore’s first badminton quarter-final berth at the Olympics in 20 years. Loh caused a major upset which he eliminated China’s Li Shifeng in the round of 16 on Thursday to set up a rematch in the quarter-finals with Olympic champion and world No 2 Viktor Axelsen. The city state was initially set ablaze when Loh was crowned Singapore’s first badminton world champion in 2021. The then 24-year-old... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/asia/article/3271953/paris-olympics-singapores-loh-kean-yew-became-world-badminton-champ-despite-ankle-injury?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/asia/article/3271953/paris-olympics-singapores-loh-kean-yew-became-world-badminton-champ-despite-ankle-injury?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Jul 2024 02:00:14 +0000 Hong Kong badminton’s prosperity in the Paris Olympics will hinge on their mixed doubles pair of Tang Chun-man and Tse Ying-suet. Tang and Tse’s No 7 world ranking cemented their spot in the City of Lights, and after appearing in five BWF World Tour finals, and winning two, since November 2021, the pair may well find a place on an Olympic podium this summer. The pair are among the first of the city’s athletes to compete at the Games, with their first game of the group stage on Saturday. First... https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/hong-kong/article/3270706/paris-olympics-hong-kongs-badminton-hopes-lie-rare-pair-tang-chun-man-tse-ying-suet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/hong-kong/article/3270706/paris-olympics-hong-kongs-badminton-hopes-lie-rare-pair-tang-chun-man-tse-ying-suet?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jul 2024 02:00:09 +0000 Former Hong Kong swimmer Wan Shiu-ming remembers one particular swim and how he was swarmed by other competitors in the canteen the next day at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. Then a 16-year-old, Wan, who took part in the men’s 100-metre and 400-metre freestyle events, was one of two Hong Kong athletes, alongside fellow swimmer Cheung Kin-man, in Australia. While neither made it past the 100m free heats at the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre, Wan left a mark in the 400m days later... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3269935/paris-olympics-2024-day-wan-shiu-ming-put-hong-kong-peoples-lips-1956-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3269935/paris-olympics-2024-day-wan-shiu-ming-put-hong-kong-peoples-lips-1956-games?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jul 2024 02:00:11 +0000 Olympic sailor Neil Pryde said attending the opening ceremony and raising the flag for Hong Kong at the sailing venue in Acapulco were the most unforgettable memories of the 1968 Mexico Olympics. The New Zealander, who moved to Hong Kong to realise his Olympic dreams, has a regret, however: not getting any good photos at his only Games. Then a 29-year-old, Pryde was the helmsman when he partnered Peter Gamble in the Flying Dutchman event. Days before the first race off the Pacific coast, sailors... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3270766/olympic-sailor-neil-pryde-recalls-dash-mexico-1968-liable-get-robbed-killed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3270766/olympic-sailor-neil-pryde-recalls-dash-mexico-1968-liable-get-robbed-killed?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Jul 2024 00:00:12 +0000 Five young women making their Olympic debuts will be among the hundreds of athletes in China’s contingent at the Paris Games. While they might not yet be household names such as Li Na or Eileen Gu, these rising stars already boast impressive track records – and may well make history this summer. Among a 405-strong squad, which includes 42 Olympic gold medallists, here are some new faces we think could soon be global stars. Liu Qingyi (Breaking) As breaking, the athletic, acrobatic street dance... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3271223/paris-olympics-5-young-chinese-women-hoping-make-waves-and-more-their-games-debuts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3271223/paris-olympics-5-young-chinese-women-hoping-make-waves-and-more-their-games-debuts?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Jul 2024 02:00:24 +0000 The coming Paris Olympics will see talented athletes from 206 countries striving for medals under their national banners – but not for the members of the Refugee Olympic Team, or the almost 40 per cent of whom come from Iran. For more than a decade after the Islamic Republic was established in 1979, women were barred from international sports. Public pressure eventually led authorities to permit their participation in the 1990 Beijing Asian Games, provided they could cover their hair and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3270721/paris-olympics-4-iran-born-female-athletes-who-have-defected-and-will-compete-paris?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3270721/paris-olympics-4-iran-born-female-athletes-who-have-defected-and-will-compete-paris?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jul 2024 04:00:13 +0000 Judo world champion Huh Mi-mi, 21, was born in Japan, but decided to give up her Japanese citizenship to compete under South Korea’s colours. The decision, made nearly three years ago, was in keeping with her late grandmother’s wishes. She is now training hard in hopes of earning a gold medal for South Korea at the 2024 Paris Olympics. https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3270751/meet-huh-mi-mi-japan-born-judoka-competing-south-korea-paris-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3270751/meet-huh-mi-mi-japan-born-judoka-competing-south-korea-paris-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jul 2024 05:26:35 +0000 While Hong Kong’s Olympians float down the River Seine during the opening ceremony in Paris, two of their number will be hundreds of miles away getting ready to speed across the Mediterranean. This summer’s windsurfing events take place in the southern city of Marseille, and other than fighting for a medal, Cheng Ching-yin and Ma Kwan-ching are hoping to go on hikes, visit Oyster bars and enjoy a more relaxed time. The pair are certainly comfortable in each other’s company, having travelled... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/article/3269442/paris-olympians-hong-kong-windsurfers-eyeing-hikes-oysters-and-glory-marseille?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/article/3269442/paris-olympians-hong-kong-windsurfers-eyeing-hikes-oysters-and-glory-marseille?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Jul 2024 09:39:26 +0000 Saudi taekwondo stand-out Donia Abu Taleb had an unusual introduction to the sport: for years she trained at a boys’ club because there were no girls to compete with. Now the 27-year-old has become the first Saudi Arabian woman to qualify for the Olympics and is dreaming of bringing home the Gulf kingdom’s first gold medal when she competes in Paris. Though her smiling face today appears on posters and billboards, underscoring Saudi officials’ recent push to champion women’s athletics, the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/other-martial-arts/article/3268100/paris-olympics-taekwondoin-donia-abu-taleb-goes-fighting-boys-making-saudi-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/other-martial-arts/article/3268100/paris-olympics-taekwondoin-donia-abu-taleb-goes-fighting-boys-making-saudi-history?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jun 2024 14:30:08 +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