APA Olympians Update - 08/16/08
August 16, 2008
Natasha Kai - Women’s Soccer
Amy Tran - Women’s Field Hockey
Kayla Bashore - Women’s Field Hockey
Logan Tom - Women’s Volleyball
Lovieanne Jung - Women’s Softball
Emily Cross - Women’s Fencing
Clarissa Chun - Women’s Wrestling
Jun Gao - Women’s Table Tennis
Crystal Huang - Women’s Table Tennis
Chen Wang - Women’s Table Tennis
Sandra Fong - Shooting
Natasha Kai - Women’s Soccer
25-year-old Hawaiian Natasha Kai scored the goal winner in extra time for the U.S. to beat Canada, and advanced to face Japan in a Monday semifinal. The defending Olympic champion Americans have never lost to Japan.
The game was played in Shanghai and faced a 99 minute rain delay that included lightning strikes near the stadium. The Canadians had tied the game up and U.S. Coach Pia Sundhage replaced Heather O’Reilly with Kai during overtime.
Kai, with her signature one white shoe and one red shoe and 19 body tattoos, picked up a cross from teammate Shannon Boxx to kick in the winning score.
Amy Tran - Women’s Field Hockey
Kayla Bashore - Women’s Field Hockey
Goalee Amy Tran helped the United States women’s field hockey team record its first victory of the Olympic Games and improve its chances of coming home with a medal with a 4-1 win over New Zealand.
New Zealand had at least four chances to score, but could not get past Tran who also had an assist from team captain Kate Barber who helped poke away one ball with a second remaining.
Keeping the score low for opposing teams is important because goal differential is used as a tiebreaker.
Teammate Kayla Bashore of Philadelphia added to the U.S. goal count when she made the final goal of the game, tipping in a shot taken by Kelly Doton on a penalty corner with 22 minutes left. Bashore, a middlefielder, also forced one of the seven penalty corners awarded to the United States when she was knocked down by a defender as she carried the ball into the scoring circle.
Logan Tom - Women’s Volleyball
Logan Tom scored 18 points to help the United States upset China in women’s volleyball. China is the defending Olympic gold-medalists and was heavily favored. Over 13,000 packed the Capital Indoor Stadium including Chinese President Hu Jintao, as the U.S. won with a 3-2 (23-25, 25-22, 23-25, 25-20, 15-11) 2 hour, 4 minute victory and made themselves into medal contenders. The U.S. team is coached by former Chinese volleyball star Lang Ping who led China’s volleyball team in the 1980s.
Lovieanne Jung - Women’s Softball
Lovieanne Jung hit two RBIs apiece as the American women’s softball team continued their dominance, shutting out Taiwan 7-0. It was America’s 19th straight win in Olympic matches and its fourth shutout in five games.
Emily Cross - Women’s Fencing
Emily Cross and fellow United States fencers Hanna Thompson and Erinn Smart won silver medals and America’s first Olympic medals in fencing. They assured themselves of winning at least a silver when they narrowly beat Hungary 35-33, with 16 of those points scored by Cross.
However, Cross and her teammates were no match for Russia and lost 28-11. Although score was close early at 4-4 after three bouts, the Russians broke away with their longer arm length. The Americans could not score for four rounds. Cross’s final point in the last round was too little too late.
*****Keeping up with Olympics:*****
2008 Beijing Olympics Meet Your Asian American Olympians!
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Clarissa Chun - Women’s Wrestling
Hawaiian Clarissa Chun missed her chance at an Olympic medal after two disappointing losses knocked her into fourth place ranking.
The day started off with Chun winning her first two matches at 106 pounds, beating Sweden’s Sofia Mattsson, 2-1, 4-1, and Vanessa Boubryemm of France, 6-1, 2-1.
But then Chun lost a tough freestyle match in the 105.5-pound semifinals to Japan’s Chiharu Icho, 2004 Olympic silver medalist and winner of the past two world titles, 1-0, 3-0, 1-1.
Chun seemed to have her chances. Twice, she tried arm throws that had Icho teetering and she also missed a takedown opportunity earlier in the match.
Chun then faced Irini Merleni of Ukraine for the bronze. 2004 gold medalist Merleni had earlier also lost to Icho. Merleni made quick work of Chun and pinned her 1 minute, 6 seconds into the second period.
Carol Huyhn of Canada defeated Icho for the gold.
Sandra Fong - Shooting
In shooting, Sandra Fong came in 21st place in the women’s 50-meter rifle, three-positions competition. Du Li of China won the gold.
Jun Gao - Women’s Table Tennis
Crystal Huang - Women’s Table Tennis
Chen Wang - Women’s Table Tennis
Table Tennis - The U.S. did well in its team competition in the bronze playoff round, beating Romania, 3-1. Elizabeta Samara of Romania beat Chen Wang but the U.S. rallied as Jun Gao of the U.S. beat Daniela Dodean. Gao and Crystal Huang beat Samara and Julia Necula. And Wang won a singles match against Necula. The U.S. plays again Saturday. – LA Times
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