Related News
Chinese soar as Leu tumbles out in aerials
Source: Agencies |
February 22, 2010, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SWISS defending champion Evelyne Leu always flips repeatedly in the air but she did one somersault too many on Saturday and failed to qualify for the Olympic aerials finals.
Four-time Olympian Leu, lying fifth after the first round of two qualifying jumps, did a triple twisting backflip for her second run but overshot her landing and tumbled to the ground, losing her ski in the process.
"For sure I am quite disappointed," said Leu, who hurt her head on the first day of practice and had only limited training time on the Cypress Mountain course in Vancouver.
The skiers who were not disappointed included all four "Chinese Air Force" aerialists who easily landed in the top 12 to make it to the finals on Wednesday. China has turned into an aerials powerhouse over the past few years after retraining talented acrobats and gymnasts to perform on skis.
Li Nina, who won the Olympic silver medal in Turin four years ago, said the warm weather made it harder to ski her best and said she was looking forward to the night-time finals when it would be colder.
"My goal was just to qualify," she said, adding that she would increase her difficulty in the finals. "I have a trick I haven't taken out - I'll base it on my competitors."
Li had "Too Young to Die", a motto of one of her favorite South Korean singers, written on her skis.
Alla Tsuper of Belarus won the qualifying, followed by Li. China's Guo Xinxin, Cheng Xuang and Xu Mengtao also advanced.
Sixteen-year-old Ashley Caldwell, the youngest competitor in the event and part of the US Elite Air Program which fast tracks gymnasts to compete in aerials, was shooting for the 2014 Olympics until strong recent results sent her to Vancouver.
"I'm still kind of nervous, kind of shaking a little bit. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, I'm at the Olympics," said Caldwell, who finished 12th in the qualifying runs to squeeze into the final.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
