SPORTS
Page 8 n THE ASIAN REPORTER
March 6, 2017
Asian Winter Games: Very topical in tropical East Timor
HOT WEATHER, COOL SKIER. East Timor’s
Yohan Goutt Goncalves skies during the alpine skiing
men’s giant slalom at the Asian Winter Games in
Sapporo, northern Japan, on February 22, 2017.
Goutt Goncalves could have taken part in the Alpine
skiing world championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland,
but chose instead to travel to Japan to become East
Timor’s first athlete at the Asian Winter Games. (AP
Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)
By Jim Armstrong
The Associated Press
S
APPORO, Japan — For Alpine
skier Yohan Goutt Goncalves, the
chance to be East Timor’s sole
representative at the Asian Winter Games
was too good to pass up, even if it meant
missing the world championships.
Goutt Goncalves could have taken part
in the Alpine skiing world championships
in St. Moritz, Switzerland, but chose
instead to travel to Japan to become East
Timor’s first athlete at the Asian Winter
Games.
“It was more important to come here
because East Timor is part of Asia,” Goutt
Goncalves said in an interview with The
Associated Press. “Timorese people feel
closer to the Asian Games than any other
event — even the Winter Olympics — so
that’s why I chose to come here.”
Born in France, 22-year-old Goutt
Goncalves is the son of a French father and
a mother from East Timor, the tiny former
Portuguese colony between Australia and
Indonesia.
He qualified for the world circuit in 2013
and had no trouble deciding which country
to represent when it came to choosing
between France and East Timor.
East
Timor’s
National
Olympic
Committee was only established in 2007,
and two athletes have competed at the
Summer Games in 2004, 2008, and 2012.
“My dream of representing Timor came
when I was eight,” Goutt Goncalves said. “I
wanted to go to the Olympics and I knew it
was for Timor because I think it was
important to show to the world that there
is this country. I think that the contrast of
having an athlete that skis but is from a
country with no snow makes it special.”
Goutt Goncalves’ childhood dream came
true when he competed at the Sochi
Olympics.
“It was so challenging to get there,”
Goutt Goncalves said, recalling his route
to become the first athlete from East Timor
to compete at the Winter Olympics. “And
when I arrived there you raise the flag of
Timor in the opening ceremony. It’s the
first time in the Winter Olympics so there
was a lot of attention on you because
people are wondering ‘where is this
country? Do they have snow? Do they have
mountains?’”
Now he has his sights set on qualifying
for an Olympic return, this time closer to
home in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
“I want to participate in more inter-
national events so people get to know
Timor better,” Goutt Goncalves said.
Many of Goutt Goncalves’ family
members live in Australia, where he has
based himself for southern hemisphere
winter training the past several years.
Goutt Goncalves first hit the ski slopes
in his father Pierre’s backpack when he
was a year old, and skied for the first time
when he was three.
East Timor was colonized by Portugal in
the 16th century and declared its
independence in 1975. Indonesia invaded
East Timor within weeks and a violent
period followed.
In 1999, following intervention from the
United Nations, Indonesia relinquished
control of the territory and East Timor
became a sovereign state on May 20, 2002.
The country’s political situation has
become more stable in recent years.
“Right now it is pretty peaceful, the last
civil war was in 2006,” Goutt Goncalves
said. “Since then nothing major has
happened so I hope tourists will come to
Timor.”
In 1974, Goutt Goncalves’ mother,
Carolina, and her young siblings boarded a
fishing boat in the capital, Dili, and set sail
for Darwin, the remote capital of
Australia’s Northern Territory. Despite
being overcrowded, the boat and its
500-plus passengers arrived safely, and
the family was granted refugee status.
For now, Goutt Goncalves said he is
happy to be able to take his campaign to
raise awareness of his country to the
slopes.
“My uncles that still live in Timor fought
during the occupation,” Goutt Goncalves
said. “They were present and in the
resistance so I think in my own way I am
fighting for my country in a more joyful
way.”
Uno wins gold medal in figure skating at Asian Winter Games
GOLD MEDALLIST. Shoma Uno of Japan
performs in the men’s free skate during the figure
skating competition at Makomanai Indoor Skating Rink
at the Asian Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan, on Feb-
ruary 26, 2017. Japan finished on top of the medal
count with 74, including 27 gold. (AP Photo/Eugene
Hoshiko)
By Jim Armstrong
The Associated Press
S
APPORO, Japan — Shoma Uno of
Japan overcame several early
mistakes to win the gold medal in
men’s figure skating on the final day of the
Asian Winter Games.
Uno, who was second after the short
program, fell on the opening quad loop of
his free skate and stepped out of a triple
lutz, but scored 281.27 points.
Two Chinese skaters finished second
and third — Boyang Jin with 280.08 points
and Yan Han with 271.86.
Despite the early mistakes, Uno earned
points with three combination jumps,
including his last one: a triple salchow-
single loop-triple flip.
“It wasn’t my greatest performance but
I’m pleased with the result,” said Uno, who
received 188.84 points in the free skate. “I
think the combination jumps helped me to
recover.”
Jin led after the free skate but his
mistake on a quad toeloop and a triple flip
late on, coupled with a lower element
score, cost him valuable points.
Japan’s Takahito Mura was fourth with
263.31 points.
Sochi Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu
of Japan did not take part in the
competition.
Elsewhere at the games, seen as a
tune-up for athletes ahead of the Winter
Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea
next February, Yuki Kobayashi of Japan
won the women’s 15-kilometer free mass
start to capture her fourth gold in
cross-country skiing.
Kobayashi finished in a time of 43
minutes, 28.6 seconds in the race that
features all skiers starting together.
Kazakhstan beat host Japan 7-0 to win
the gold medal in men’s ice hockey. South
Korea took the silver with Japan settling
for the bronze.
Shin Sang-hoon’s hat trick led the
South Korean team to a 10-0 thrashing of
China.
Japan finished top of the medals table
with a total of 74, including the most golds
with 27. South Korea was second with a
total of 50 medals while China was third
with 35.
The closing ceremony was held at
Makomanai Ice Arena and was attended
by Japan’s Crown Prince Naruhito.
The games featured more than 2,000
athletes from 31 countries competing in
five sports, 11 disciplines, and 64 events.
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