China, Russia win first wushu golds

Source: Xinhua | 08-22-2008 11:15

Zhao Qingjian won a gold medal in men's combined daoshu and gunshu yesterday, the first day of Beijing's wushu tournament.

Zhao Qingjian won a gold medal in men's combined daoshu and gunshu in Beijing's wushu tournament

Zhao, scoring 9.85 in daoshu and 9.85 in gunshu, ranked first in the broadsword and staff competition, part of the taolu category.

Jia Rui, from Macao, and Cheng Chung Hang, from Hong Kong, won silver and bronze medals with scores of 19.34 and 19.19, respectively.

The second gold medal on offer yesterday went to Tarasova Daria of Russia for women's changquan (open fist), with a score of 9.74. Xi Cheng Qing of Macao, and Susyana of Indonesia, scoring 9.65 and 9.58 respectively, ranked second and third.

The four-day Beijing 2008 Wushu Tournament, which draws 128 athletes from 43 countries and regions, kicked off at the Beijing Olympic Sports Center, the venue for many Olympic handball matches.

It was the first time a non-Olympic tournament has been held in a city that is hosting the Olympic Games at the same time.

"With the approval of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Beijing 2008 Wushu Tournament is co-sponsored by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG), the International Wushu Federation (IWUF) and the Chinese Wushu Association," said Wang Xiaolin, the secretary-general of IWUF.

"It is the first time in Olympic history that a tournament of a non-Olympic event has been held in an Olympic host city during the Games," Wang said.

Zhao Qingjian won a gold medal in men's combined  daoshu and gunshu in Beijing's wushu tournament