Taiwanese sisters take gold in women’s doubles tennis at Asian Games

Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Chan Yung-jan celebrate with their gold medals after the tennis women’s doubles final at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)

HANGZHOU, China— Taiwanese sisters Chan Yung-jan and Chan Hao-ching took gold Saturday in women’s doubles tennis at the Asian Games and are now looking ahead to next year’s Olympics in Paris.

Chan Yung-jan told reporters after beating Lee Ya-hsuan and Liang En-shuo, also Taiwanese, in the final that even though she’s the older one at 34, 30-year-old Chan Hao-ching is “like the big sister.”

“But I need to make her calm down a little bit,” she added.

She said their different personalities complement each other on the court.

“We’re so different — she is very brave and goes in with her instincts a lot,” she said. “And me, I need to watch her back and make sure that she can do whatever she wants and that makes us a very good combination.”

The sisters won 6-4, 6-3.

With five Asian Games gold medals now under her belt, Chan Yung-jan said she was hopeful she would be able to add an Olympic gold to her collection next year.

“I want to enjoy this gold first,” she said. “But if I decide to play the Olympics, that will be the goal, obviously, I mean, that’s every athlete’s hope and goal.”

In other tennis action on Day 7 of the Asian Games, China’s Zhang Zhizhen took the gold in men’s singles, beating Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki in two sets.

In mixed doubles, India took the gold, beating Taiwan.

The Asian Games feature 12,500 participants from 45 nations and territories — more than the 10,500 from about 200 delegations expected at next year’s Paris Olympics.

Host China has been dominating the games, with more than 200 medals overall won by Day 7 of the two-week competition, about as many as the combined total of second and third place Japan and South Korea.

It seems likely China will easily surpass the 300 medals — 132 gold — it won five years ago at the Asian Games in Indonesia.

TRIATHLON

Japan’s Yuko Takahashi won gold in women’s triathlon, going start-to-finish in first place in the swimming, cycling and running challenge.

The 32-year-old finished in 2:01:04, 26 seconds ahead of China’s Lin Xinyu, and 1 minute 27 seconds ahead of bronze medalist, China’s Yang Yifan.

“Throughout the race, I knew I was being chased by my competitors, but I stuck to the end,” she told reporters. “The first part was tough, but in the second half I felt a positive trend in the running.”

She said her strategy had been to break away from the pack, especially during the running.

“I was reminded by my coach to keep up the advantage in the running and I did it.”

She’s now looking at keeping up the pace for next year’s Olympic Games.

“I put everything into it; I believe I can sustain this level until the Olympics,” she said.

ROLLER SKATING

South Korea’s Garam Yu, right, competes during the Women’s Speed Skating 10000m Point-Elimination Race event of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Taiwan’s Shih Pei-yu took gold in 10,000-meter speed skating, edging out fellow Taiwanese skater Yang Ho-chen.

Shih finished the race in 17:23.219, just ahead of 30-year-old Yang.

“We are competitive in a friendly way, each one trying to outdo the other,” the 18-year-old told reporters after winning the gold. “It’s like catching the baton passed to me by my older classmate. I hope we can both help each other to improve.”

South Korea’s Yu Garam, 28, took the bronze.

In the men’s 10,000 meter speed skating, South Korea’s Jeong Byeonghee won the gold, China’s Zhang Zhenhai took silver, and South Korea’s Choi Inho took bronze.