Smaller countries also celebrate wins in Beijing Olympic
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
BEIJING, Aug 19 (BSS): Not only China, other smaller countries which also won medals join the hosts to celebrate their achievements here.
Country like Singapore on August 17 delayed broadcasting Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's annual national address because it clashed with the island's push for the first Olympic gold medal in Beijing.
Although Singapore's women's table tennis team could not win against China, the silver medal was the first since 1960 for the Southeast Asian nation. There was another landmark in Beijing, where a Mongolian martial artist and Indian shooter struck the historic golds for their countries, and Tajikistan and Togo got their first medals.
"This medal is Singapore's first in 48 years and this means a lot to the country," Singapore's top-ranked player Li Jia Wei told reporters. "This medal will give a boost to the development of sports in Singapore."
At the top of the medal tables, China leads the U.S. 39-24 in total golds after its best start to an Olympics.
The home team yesterday surpassed their record haul of 32 golds in Athens and moved into the final phase seeking to become the first nation other than the U.S. or former Soviet Union to top the medal standings since Germany in 1936.
Cui Dalin, Secretary General of the Chinese team, played down the hosts' chances, pointing out that they snatched eight golds in weightlifting and five each in shooting, diving and gymnastics.
"The sports that we have advantages in were mostly completed in the first half," Cui said. "During the second half there are not many sports that we have advantages in. The pace of winning gold medals is expected to slow down."
Even so, China won its first rowing gold in history yesterday. The US leads China 72-67 in total medals after holding a 56-46 lead heading into the second week in Athens.
China four years ago led the US 22-21 in the gold medal count after the first nine days of competition.
"The latter half of the Games will be even more spectacular and the competition will be more fierce," Cui said.
Britain, ramping up ahead of the 2012 Games in London, is third behind China and the US in gold medals with 13, matching its best showing since 1920. The Britons took six in the first week of competition in Athens and finished with nine.
Greece, after notching four first-week golds as the host nation four years ago, is still searching for its first title in Beijing. Hungary, which ranks sixth with 156 Summer Olympic titles is yet to win a gold.
With 72 total medals through 10 days of competition, the US now has won 2,260 at the Summer Games in the past 112 years. And Togo and Tajikistan have found places in the medals table for the first time in Beijing.
Togo's four-member team got a bronze medal from Benjamin Boukpeti in the K1 kayak event, while Tajikistan's Rasul Boqiev finished third to bag a bronze in the men's 73Kg (161- pound) judo category.
Naidan Tuvshinbayar gave Mongolia its first gold in the 100kg judo event. "There are no words to describe my happiness," Tuvshinbayar said.
Three days earlier, Abhinav Bindra ended India's 108-year wait for an individual gold medal by winning the men's 10-meter air rifle event in Beijing. The bespectacled Bindra said afterwards that he hopes his victory will "change the face of Olympic sport" in the nation of 1.1 billion people.
The world's most populous nation climbed from 16 golds in Atlanta and Barcelona to 28 in Sydney, 32 in Athens and now 39 with six days remaining and 118 more golds up for grabs.
"The Olympic spirit is faster, higher and stronger," said China's Tong Wen, who won gold in women's judo. "Since the 1984 Olympics, China is getting better and better each time."
Country like Singapore on August 17 delayed broadcasting Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's annual national address because it clashed with the island's push for the first Olympic gold medal in Beijing.
Although Singapore's women's table tennis team could not win against China, the silver medal was the first since 1960 for the Southeast Asian nation. There was another landmark in Beijing, where a Mongolian martial artist and Indian shooter struck the historic golds for their countries, and Tajikistan and Togo got their first medals.
"This medal is Singapore's first in 48 years and this means a lot to the country," Singapore's top-ranked player Li Jia Wei told reporters. "This medal will give a boost to the development of sports in Singapore."
At the top of the medal tables, China leads the U.S. 39-24 in total golds after its best start to an Olympics.
The home team yesterday surpassed their record haul of 32 golds in Athens and moved into the final phase seeking to become the first nation other than the U.S. or former Soviet Union to top the medal standings since Germany in 1936.
Cui Dalin, Secretary General of the Chinese team, played down the hosts' chances, pointing out that they snatched eight golds in weightlifting and five each in shooting, diving and gymnastics.
"The sports that we have advantages in were mostly completed in the first half," Cui said. "During the second half there are not many sports that we have advantages in. The pace of winning gold medals is expected to slow down."
Even so, China won its first rowing gold in history yesterday. The US leads China 72-67 in total medals after holding a 56-46 lead heading into the second week in Athens.
China four years ago led the US 22-21 in the gold medal count after the first nine days of competition.
"The latter half of the Games will be even more spectacular and the competition will be more fierce," Cui said.
Britain, ramping up ahead of the 2012 Games in London, is third behind China and the US in gold medals with 13, matching its best showing since 1920. The Britons took six in the first week of competition in Athens and finished with nine.
Greece, after notching four first-week golds as the host nation four years ago, is still searching for its first title in Beijing. Hungary, which ranks sixth with 156 Summer Olympic titles is yet to win a gold.
With 72 total medals through 10 days of competition, the US now has won 2,260 at the Summer Games in the past 112 years. And Togo and Tajikistan have found places in the medals table for the first time in Beijing.
Togo's four-member team got a bronze medal from Benjamin Boukpeti in the K1 kayak event, while Tajikistan's Rasul Boqiev finished third to bag a bronze in the men's 73Kg (161- pound) judo category.
Naidan Tuvshinbayar gave Mongolia its first gold in the 100kg judo event. "There are no words to describe my happiness," Tuvshinbayar said.
Three days earlier, Abhinav Bindra ended India's 108-year wait for an individual gold medal by winning the men's 10-meter air rifle event in Beijing. The bespectacled Bindra said afterwards that he hopes his victory will "change the face of Olympic sport" in the nation of 1.1 billion people.
The world's most populous nation climbed from 16 golds in Atlanta and Barcelona to 28 in Sydney, 32 in Athens and now 39 with six days remaining and 118 more golds up for grabs.
"The Olympic spirit is faster, higher and stronger," said China's Tong Wen, who won gold in women's judo. "Since the 1984 Olympics, China is getting better and better each time."