Archer breaks record in Youth Olympics

SINGAPORE: Korean archer Kwak Ye Ji broke the outdoor junior women’s world record with a score of 670 in the 70-metre ranking round in the inaugural Youth Olympics. Kwak’s broke the junior world record of 666 set by her compatriot Um Hye-Rang nine years ago and was just three points off the Olympic record set by Ukrainian Lina Herasymenko at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games.

But Kwak’s coach Choi Seung Sil played down the 17-year-old’s score, saying that it was “not a big deal” and that she was capable of a better performance.

Rower wins silver despite kidney scare

Despite facing a kidney infection Australian rowers Emma Basher and Olympia Aldersey persevered and claimed a silver medal. The infection, which had been bothering Basher for a few days, flared up overnight and it was touch and go as to whether they would even compete in the junior women’s coxless pairs.

Emma and Olympia, both 18, finished the 1,000-metre course in three minutes and  29.34 seconds to win silver. They were just 0.74 seconds behind Britain’s Georgia Howard-Merrill and Fiona Gammond.

The fastest qualifier

Britain’s David Bolarinwa, the world’s fastest Under-18 sprinter with a personal best of 10.39 seconds was the fastest qualifier after clocking 10.62 seconds in his 100-metre heat.

“I thought let me go there, go hard and see if anyone can go faster,” said Bolarinwa. “It was a decent run but I’m saving myself for Saturday’s final.”

His chief rival in the century sprint for a Youth Olympic Games gold will be Jamaican sprinter Odane Skeen, 15, whom David kept a close eye on as he observed his opponent’s race from the sidelines.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th, 2010.