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SPORTS March 3, 2014 THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 7 Japan celebrates Hanyu’s history-making gold medal By Jim Armstrong AP Sports Writer T Kim’s career ends with Olympic silver medal By Barry Wilner AP Sports Writer S OCHI, Russia — Yuna Kim’s career ended last month with an Olympic silver medal. And relief. The South Korean star and 2010 gold medallist finished second to Russia’s Adelina Sotnikova in the women’s event, then retired. “This was my last competition,” she said. Kim is the only skater from her nation to win an Olympic figure skating medal. She also owns two world championship titles. She barely won the short program, but lost to Sotnikova by more than five points in the free skate. Kim never was as comfortable in Sochi as she was at the Vancouver Games. “The biggest feeling was being relieved because it was over,” she said. “I want to rest.” After winning the 2009 world championship in spectacular fashion, Kim became a heavy favorite for the 2010 Winter Games. She came through just as brilliantly, and even stuck around for one more season. Then she left competitive skating for a year, and there was speculation she would not attempt to skate in Sochi. But Kim returned for the 2012-2013 season and won her second world crown. A foot injury sidelined her for the Grand Prix campaign this season, and she rarely cracked a smile or looked comfortable once she arrived in Russia. She even admitted several times the desire to win another gold medal wasn’t as strong as her drive to win the first one. “At that time I could die for gold in the Olympics,” she said of the Vancouver Games. “But that desire, that strong wish was not as present. The motivation was a problem, I think.” Kim will skate in a show back home in May, but otherwise has no plans. She will skip next month’s world championships in Saitama, Japan, which could cause some problems for South Korea. The nation’s other two skaters in Sochi finished 16th and 21st. They will need a much better showing in Saitama to keep three spots in the 2015 championships. Kim’s retirement also means home fans won’t be able to watch her skate at the Pyeongchang Winter Games four years from now. TALKING STORY IN ASIAN AMERICA n Polo Polo’s “Talking Story” column will return soon. ASTHMA IS ON THE RISE. Help us find a cure. 1-800-LUNG-USA FIGURE-SKATING FIRST. Sochi Olympics men’s figure-skating gold medallist Yuzuru Hanyu is greeted by supporters at an ovation event upon his arrival back home in Tokyo in late February. Japan celebrated Hanyu’s historic win in Sochi, rejoicing in the country’s first-ever gold medal in the Olympic event. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Han- yu was practicing when the quake hit and was forced to run out of the arena while wearing his skates for fear the building would not withstand the record 9.0-magnitude tremor. While Sendai and the greater Tohoku region has come a long way since the 2011 disaster, many people still live in temporary housing and are struggling to find work. 2UHJRQ,PPLJUDWLRQ$WWRUQH\ -LPP\1DPJ\DO &DOOWRGD\WRGLVFXVV\RXUFDVH ZZZQDPJ\DOODZFRP *UHHQ&DUG1DWXUDOL]DWLRQ)LDQFp9LVD 6SRXVH9LVD(PSOR\PHQW%DVHG3HWLWLRQV '$&$,QYHVWPHQW%DVHG3HWLWLRQV 6:0HDGRZV5RDG6XLWH/DNH2VZHJR25 Hanyu moved his training base to Toronto, partly because it was difficult to train at his home rink in Sendai. “I have received so much from the people in Sendai and the entire Tohoku region,” Hanyu was quoted as saying by the Sankei Sports newspaper. “I want to express my gratitude and appreciation for all the support from the people there.” 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) Read The Asian Reporter online! Visit <www.asianreporter.com>. 2013 Most Honored Elder Award Recipient Van Cong Phan Van Cong Phan was born September 14, 1939 in Que Son, Vietnam, one of three children. The son of a doctor of oriental medicine and a Chinese language teacher, he attended Bible college and became a pastor in 1963 for the Christian Missionary Alliance Church. During the Vietnam War, Rev. Phan worked as a chaplain for a World Vision hospital, comforting the wounded. His immigration story is a convoluted one: In 1975 he journeyed to Saigon to board a boat and was subsequently picked up by a U.S. Navy ship from the 7th Fleet. He was taken to Subic Bay in the Philippines, transported to Guam, and finally to the U.S. He was initially taken to Arkansas, and then to Chicago, before arriving in Portland, where he joined his brother who had already settled in the city. He married his wife Thuhong T. Huynh in the summer of 1963 and the couple has seven children: Daniel, Tony, Phuong, An, Duc, Quoc, and Mike. In 2002, Rev. Phan became a Lutheran pastor and he is currently the pastor of his own congregation at the Vietnamese Lutheran Church of The Master, which has approximately 150 members. Rev. Phan is also the founder of the Vietnamese Funeral Support Funding Club, which helps with funeral costs for families who have lost loved ones. He also invests in real estate and owns a gas station. AR Photo/Eugene Wong SILVER SAYONARA. Women’s free-skate figure-skating silver medallist Yuna Kim of South Korea smiles during the medal ceremony at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Kim’s career ended last month with an Olympic silver medal. And relief. The South Korean star and 2010 gold medallist finished second to Russia’s Adelina Sotnikova in the women’s event, then retired. (AP Photo/David Goldman) OKYO — Japan celebrated Yuzuru Hanyu’s historic win in men’s figure skating, rejoicing in the country’s first-ever gold medal in the Olympic event. It was 4:00am in Japan when the 19-year-old native of Sendai beat out Patrick Chan of Canada to win the gold. With a rare snowfall blanketing the city, most Tokyoites stayed home to watch the moment live on tele- vision. “This is something we’ve waited a long time for,” said office worker Shinobu Higuchi, who stayed up all night. “Considering the importance of it, I had no trouble staying up to watch.” The last time Japan won gold at the Winter Olympics was eight years ago when Shizuka Arakawa took top honors in women’s figure skating in Turin. Hanyu’s gold was a huge relief for Japan, a country that is constantly vying with its Asian rivals — China and South Korea — for supremacy at the winter games. Japan sent 113 athletes to the Sochi Olympics, its largest contin- gent ever for a winter games outside Japan. Hanyu’s win also brought joy to the people of Sendai, a city hit hard by the The Asian Reporter Foundation is accepting nominations for its 2014 “Most Honored Elder” awards. The recognition banquet will be held Thursday, April 17, 2014 at northeast Portland’s TAO Event Center. Nomination forms and guidelines for eligibility are available for download at <www.ARFoundation.net>. The nomination deadline is Wednesday, March 26, 2014 at 5:00pm. Tu Phan Call for: Refinances Purchases Offering: FHA/VA/Conventional Mortgages NMLS # 81395 MLO # 7916 12550 S.E. 93rd Avenue Suite 350 Clackamas, OR 97015 (503) 496-0531 <tphan@alpinemc.com> <www. alpinemc.com > Give blood. To schedule a blood donation call 1-800-G IVE-LIFE or visit HelpSaveALife.org.