BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Here are the Chinese sports headlines from the past week:
1. Chinese skaters win men's 5,000m relay gold at short track worlds
China's team pose after the men's 5,000m relay at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Seoul, South Korea on March 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Yiliang)
China claimed the men's 5,000m relay title on the closing day of the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Seoul, South Korea. Li Wenlong, Lin Xiaojun, Liu Guanyi and Zhong Yuchen clocked a winning time of seven minutes and 4.412 seconds.
Gong Li, Zang Yize, Li and Lin took silver in the mixed team relay in 2:41.821, helping China wrap up the season's final leg with a gold and a silver medal.
2. Sichuan defeat Inner Mongolia to lift its first-ever WCBA trophy
Sichuan players pose after the 2022-23 season WCBA Finals in Chengdu, China on March 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Xi)
China's star center Han Xu scored 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to help the Sichuan Yuanda Merlot win its first-ever Women's Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA) title in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province.
Sichuan edged defending champion Inner Mongolia Nongxin 83-82 in Game 3 of the Finals, winning the series 2-1, with Han awarded the Finals MVP.
3. China out of World Baseball Classic
China manager Dean Treanor (3rd L) shakes hands with Zheng Chaoqun (1st R) during the Pool B match against South Korea at the 2023 World Baseball Classic in Tokyo, Japan on March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)
China suffered a 22-2 loss to South Korea in their last World Baseball Classic (WBC) group game in Tokyo.
China, coached by American Dean Treanor, were eliminated from Pool B after losing all four games. They were beaten 8-1 by Japan, 8-5 by the Czech Republic and 12-2 by Australia in their first three matches.
4. China take gold in women's team sprint at UCI Track Nations Cup
Guo Yufang, Bao Shanju and Yuan Liying of China in action during the women's team sprint finals at the 2023 UCI Track Nations Cup in Cairo, Egypt on March 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
China's trio of Bao Shanju, Yuan Liying and Guo Yufang finished their three laps around the 250-meter velodrome in 47.676 seconds to bag the women's team sprint gold medal at the 2023 International Cycling Union (UCI) Track Nations Cup in Cairo.
The 2023 Track Nations Cup is a chance for participating athletes to progress in their bid to earn spots at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
"We got the gold medal in this race, so in the future, we will have less pressure to secure enough points to qualify for the Olympic Games," Bao told Xinhua.
5. Chinese boxer Lyu wins WBA International Super Flyweight title
Lyu Bin of China celebrates after winning the WBA super flyweight fight against Yutthana Kaensa of Thailand in Yongkang, east China's Zhejiang Province on March 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Hou Zhaokang)
With a first-round knockout (KO), Chinese boxer Lyu Bin beat Yutthana Kaensa of Thailand to win the World Boxing Association (WBA) International Super Flyweight Championship in Yongkang, east China's Zhejiang Province.
At the Yongkang Sports Center gymnasium, it only took Lyu one minute and 39 seconds to claim the title with a heavy rear hook on the abdomen.■
