July 4, 2016
ASIA / PACIFIC
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 5
The Twist Prince: Kenzo Shirai
is aiming for Olympic gold
By Jim Armstrong
AP Sports Writer
OKYO — Kenzo Shirai wants
to add a new twist to an evolv-
ing story and help Japan re-
gain the men’s gymnastics team title
it once dominated at the Olympics.
“The Twist Prince,” as the 19-year-
old Shirai is known in Japan, will
make his Olympic debut in Rio de
Janeiro, where the Japanese are
aiming to win their first Olympic
team gold since 2004 in Athens.
Japan won five straight team golds
beginning with the 1960 Rome
Olympics, but has been surpassed by
China, which won three of the last
four team golds, including in London
four years ago.
In addition to the team medal,
Shirai is also bidding to become the
first Japanese man to win the floor
exercise since Sawao Kato won the
event at the Mexico Olympics in
1968.
A student at Nippon Sports Science
University, Shirai is hoping to
provide some youthful energy in Rio.
“I’d like to ... provide some positive
spark,” he said. “As the only student
on the team, I hope I can provide some
positive energy.”
Shirai burst onto the international
gymnastics scene at the age of 17
when he became the first athlete to
perform a quadruple twist on his way
to winning gold at the world
championships in Antwerp in 2013.
He followed that up with a triple
twisting front somersault and a
triple-twisting Yurchenko on vault to
establish himself as one of the sport’s
most talented twisters.
At the 2015 world championships
in Glasgow, Shirai won the floor
exercise with a margin of victory that
was the largest among all male event
finals. His 7.6 difficulty score was the
highest among all competitors.
He also helped Japan to the team
gold that year.
Shirai already has four moves
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NEW TWIST. Kenzo Shirai of Japan performs on the floor while competing in the men’s qualifi-
cation competition at the World Artistic Gymnastics championships in Glasgow, Scotland, in this
October 25, 2015 file photo. Shirai got his start in artistic gymnastics at a young age. His parents
owned a gym near Yokohama and instead of paying for daycare, they took Kenzo with them to work,
where he quickly developed an attraction to the trampoline which allowed him to master his superior
twisting skills. He burst onto the international gymnastics scene at the age of 17 when he became
the first athlete to perform a quadruple twist on his way to winning gold at the world championships
in Antwerp in 2013. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)
named after him in the International
Shirai shrugs off any concerns that
Gymnastics Federation’s men’s Code he may struggle in his Olympic debut.
of Points: A quadruple twisting back
“Having gone through a very
somersault, a triple twisting front competitive national team selection, I
somersault, a Yurchenko vault with am confident,” Shirai said. “And I
three twists, and a triple twisting have trustworthy experienced team-
double layout.
mates I can count on.”
Japan won the silver medal in the
And like many young Japanese
men’s team all-around in London athletes in Rio, Shirai is hoping to set
four years ago with a strong squad the stage for Tokyo 2020 with a
that featured six-time world and strong performance. Given his age, he
reigning Olympic champion Kohei should be hitting his prime just about
Uchimura.
the time the Summer Games return
The addition of Shirai will only to his homeland for the first time in
bolster Japan’s chances of beating 56 years.
China in Rio.
Uchimura, who will be the captain
Shirai got his start in artistic of Japan’s team in Rio, has high
gymnastics at a young age. His praise for Shirai.
parents owned a gym near Yokohama
“He’s putting in the type of
and instead of paying for daycare, performances that make not just me,
they took Kenzo with them to work, but the whole country confident he’ll
where he quickly developed an get the job done in Rio,” Uchimura
attraction to the trampoline which said. “I think we’ll have the strongest
allowed him to master his superior team in the world, and I’ll give my all
twisting skills.
to prove that.”
Indonesian court to proceed with trial in cyanide murder
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — An
Indonesian court has decided to pro-
ceed with the trial of a former resi-
dent of Australia accused of murder-
ing a friend by lacing her coffee with
cyanide.
The 27-year-old defendant, Jessica
Kumala Wongso, was charged with
plotting the January 6 poisoning of
Wayan Mirna Salihin because of the
q
N. Korea warns freed U.S.
missionary to stop criticizing it
Continued from page 2
detainees if Bae continues speaking
ill of the North. “Then American
criminals now in custody in (North
Korea) will never be able to go back to
the U.S.,” it said.
Analysts say North Korea often
attempts to use foreign detainees to
wrest concessions from other
countries. In the past it has released
some U.S. prisoners after high-profile
Americans visited the country on
their behalf. Bae was freed during a
visit by the U.S. spy chief.
The United States and North
Korea are still technically at war
because the 1950-1953 Korean War
ended with an armistice, not a peace
treaty. About 28,500 U.S. troops are
stationed in South Korea to deter
potential aggression from North
Korea.
victim’s advice that she sever her
relationship with her troublesome
boyfriend. The two were former
classmates in Australia.
“The indictment submitted by the
state prosecutors has clearly,
accurately, and comprehensively ex-
plained the murder,” said presiding
judge Kisworo. “Therefore the
objections of the defense lawyers
could not be accepted.”
Wongso’s lawyers have ridiculed
the prosecution’s contention that
Salihin’s advice that Wongso end her
relationship led to the murder. They
said the explanation “could not be
accepted by common sense.”
Salihin collapsed and died after
drinking coffee at a Jakarta café
where the two met along with
another friend. Police say laboratory
tests showed the drink contained
cyanide.
The case has riveted Indonesia for
months and attracted attention in
Australia because Wongso was a
permanent resident and studied in
Sydney.
Police have struggled to bring the
case to trial as prosecutors deferred it
several times due to insufficient evi-
dence. It was accepted after Indone-
sian investigators gained additional
information from the Australian
Federal Police.
Wongso is charged with pre-medi-
tated murder, a capital crime in Indo-
nesia, but Indonesia has promised to
not impose the death penalty in
exchange for the help from Australia,
which opposes the death penalty.
The trial is to resume July 12 with
the testimony of witnesses presented
by prosecutors.
Singapore website founder jailed for anti-foreign content
SINGAPORE (AP) — A court in
Singapore has sentenced the founder
of a website that published anti-
foreign content to eight months in jail
after he pleaded guilty to sedition.
Court documents say Yang Kai-
heng, 27, set up “The Real Singapore”
website together with his Australian
wife, Ai Takagi, and helped distribute
accounts from visitors that contained
inaccuracies.
Takagi was convicted of similar
charges and started serving a 10-
month sentence from April, the
harshest ever imposed under the
Sedition Act, used to deter
inhabitants from promoting hostility
in the multicultural nation.
Yang distanced himself from the
website’s content during much of the
trial, saying he was not involved in
editing or approving it, before
abruptly pleading guilty to six counts
of sedition.
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