Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 3, 2014)
SPORTS February 3, 2014 THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 9 Asians in American sports w Asian Americans in world sports Winter Olympics to feature fast and graceful Asian skaters AP Photo/Song Kyung-seok, Pool 500-meter World Cup races she entered, setting a new world record four times, three of those over an eight-day span in Novem- ber. Watch for Lee, Wang, and Jing to battle it out on the speed-skating track, with Lee as the favorite. If you’re looking for less chaotic ice action, South Korea’s Yu-na Kim is the defending Olympic champion in figure skating. She also won her second world championship in 2013, after a two-year hiatus from the sport. Kim faced further adversity this year after a metatarsal injury to her right foot knocked her out for six weeks, forcing her to miss the entire Grand Prix season. But she has rebounded strong, winning the Golden Spin in Croatia, her first event back from the foot injury. Kim is used to extreme pres- sure — and making history. Her 2007 bronze medal at the world championships was the first medal for a South Korean at an International Skating Union (ISU) event; her 2009 champion- ship gold medal was also her country’s first gold. Kim contin- ued her groundbreaking ways by winning South Korea’s first gold figure-skating medal at the 2010 Olympics, setting the highest score ever awarded to a figure skater. In Sochi, she is trying to be the first back-to-back gold medallist in women’s figure skating since Katharina Witt accomplished the feat in 1984 and 1988. Her competition will be stiff, however, coming in part from Japanese skaters. Along with AP Photo/Michael Sohn Continued from page one SENSATIONAL SKATERS. Sang-hwa Lee (left photo) of South Korea competes during the women’s 1,000-meter race of the speed skating World Cup in Berlin, Germany in December 2013 and Yu-na Kim (right photo) performs in the women’s short program of the Korea National Figure Skating Championships in Goyang, South Korea last month. Both athletes are competing in this month’s Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Kim, Mao Asada, Akiko Suzuki, and Kanako Murakami are among the few women ever to crack the 200-point threshold in ISU competition. Suzuki placed eighth overall in Vancouver and finished third in the 2012 world championships, two spots ahead of Murakami, who placed fourth in last year’s world champion- ships. The 23-year-old Asada has announced that Sochi will be her final Olympic competition, after an excellent career that includes two world championships plus a silver and bronze. She adds to this four Grand Prix Final wins and two second-place finishes, as TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES Qualified small businesses will get at least 12 hours of technical assistance and training, tailored to meet the individual business development needs of each client. Prior to services being delivered, each client’s business development needs will be assessed and an individual Service Plan will document assistance to be provided. Contact: <leihosmillo@msn.com> or (503) 285-1994 A collaboration of the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce (HMCC), and the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Oregon (PACCO) through a grant from the Portland Development Commission (PDC) well as six top-three finishes (and three victories) in six straight Four Continents championships. Asada came in second to Kim at the Vancouver Olympics, and is currently ranked second in the world, also after Kim. Japan’s men figure skaters boast two of the top three skaters in the world, according to the ISU rankings. Ranked third, Daisuke Takahashi placed eighth at the Torino Olympics in 2006 before winning Japan’s first men’s Olympic figure skating medal, a bronze, in Vancouver. He won the world championship in 2010, Japan’s first men’s gold medal in that event, and he was the runner-up in 2007 and 2012. His victory in the 2013 Grand Prix was also a first by a Japanese man, and he won two Four Continents championships in 2008 and 2011. For all of Takahashi’s history, top-ranked Yuzuru Hanyu may be the one to beat in Sochi. Hanyu burst onto the scene in 2010 with a gold medal at the Junior World Championship, following that with third- and fourth-place finishes at the World Champion- ships in 2012 and 2013, respec- tively. He won the Grand Prix final this past year in dramatic fashion, achieving a world record with his short program to set up an easy win over three-time world champion Patrick Chan. At barely 19 years old, Hanyu might leave Sochi with a medal. Whether they’re tearing up the ice on the short track or carving it up with a triple jump, Asian skaters will be a focus for spectators in Sochi. And Asian sports fans will hope — not without cause — that they come home with gold. To learn more, or to view re- sults of competitions, visit <www. sochi2014.com>. Killingsworth Station Food Cart Square New Owners 1331 N. Killingsworth Street (at N. Maryland), Portland Food cart pod features: w Heavy foot traffic on a busy street w Electricity w Water w ATM w Garbage/recycling w New restrooms w Internet w Graywater dump station w Security cameras w Covered dining area w Pod is located 1 block from the MAX Yellow Line & 4 blocks from Portland Community College’s Cascade Campus Inquire for more information: (503) 381-3749 w ksfoodcarts@gmail.com Newly remodeled All new equipment. Belmont Eco Laundry has large capacity washers and dryers, perfect for those comforters, sleeping bags, big family loads, work clothes, and more! You’ll get your laundry done in record time, leaving you time to spend with family and friends. Visit us at Belmontecolaundry.com for more details. 4725 SE Belmont St. Open daily 8 to 10 FOUR N AM ES. ON E W I L L M A K E H I STORY. Please tell us what you think of these four finalists for the new bridge across the Willamette. 1 Abigail Scott Duniway Transit Bridge: Abigail Scott Duniway led the fight for women’s right to vote in Oregon. 3 Tillicum Crossing Transit Bridge, Bridge of the People: “Tillicum” is a word in Chinook jargon that means people, tribe and relatives. 2 Cascadia Crossing Transit Bridge: “Cascadia” takes its name from the Cascade Range and its snow-capped mountains. 4 Wy’east Transit Bridge: “Wy’east” is a Native American word and the original name for Mt. Hood. Send comments and view the selection criteria at trimet.org/namethebridge. Don’t delay! Deadline is 5 p.m., March 1. Project Partners: Federal Transit Administration, Clackamas County, Metro, City of Milkwaukie, Multnomah County, The City of Oregon City, The Oregon Department of Transportation, Portland Development Commission, TriMet