Olympics: Japan's Takahashi 5th after men's short program
February 14, 2006Japanese teenager Daisuke Takahashi made a nervous Olympic debut and placed fifth after the short program of the men's figure skating event at the Turin Games on Tuesday. National champion Takahashi, the only Japanese man performing at the Palavela ice arena, held on after shakily landing a pair of jumps early on and earned 38.45 points for technical elements and 35.32 for program components for a total of 73.77 points.
Olympics: Okazaki narrowly misses medal in women's 500
February 14, 2006Veteran speed skater Tomomi Okazaki was overtaken in the second run of the women's 500-meter event Tuesday, narrowly missing out on a podium finish at the Turin Olympics. Okazaki appeared on course for her second Olympic medal with the third fastest time in the first run but was outskated by Chinese dark horse Ren Hui, who ran fastest in the second round and came from behind to knock the 34-year-old off the podium by just 0.05.
Olympics: Okazaki narrowly misses medal in women's 500
February 14, 2006Veteran speed skater Tomomi Okazaki was overtaken in the second run of the women's 500-meter event Tuesday, narrowly missing out on a podium finish at the Turin Olympics. Okazaki appeared on course for her second Olympic medal with the third fastest time in the first run but was outskated by Chinese dark horse Ren Hui, who ran fastest in the second round and came from behind to knock the 34-year-old off the podium by just 0.05.
Soccer: FIFA to allow Japanese team to play in Club World Cup
February 14, 2006Soccer's world governing body FIFA will allow a host team to play at this year's Club World Cup in Japan, Japan Football Association chief Saburo Kawabuchi said on Tuesday. FIFA is expected to give the go-ahead for this season's J-League champions to play in the Dec. 10-17 tournament, bringing the number of participating teams to seven.
Olympics: Losing start for Japan in women's curling
February 14, 2006Japan got off to a heartbreaking start in the women's curling tournament at the Turin Olympics on Tuesday, losing 7-5 to Russia after giving up three points in the final end. Japan went up 4-1 after five ends and then 5-4 after eight but squandered the lead in the 10th on a key shot by Ezekh Nkeirouka that knocked out a Japanese stone and pushed her own inside the scoring circle near another Russian stone.
Olympics: Natsumi, Fukuda finish 8th in team sprint final
February 14, 2006Japan's Madoka Natsumi and Nobuko Fukuda finished eighth in the women's cross country skiing team sprint final at the Turin Olympics on Tuesday. Natsumi and Fukuda recorded Japan's highest-ever placing in the event with a time of 17 minutes, 27.6 seconds in the 10-team final won by Sweden's Anna Dahlberg and Lina Andersson.
Olympics: Natsumi, Fukuda move into women's team sprint final
February 14, 2006Japan's Madoka Natsumi and Nobuko Fukuda advanced to the women's cross country skiing team sprint final at the Turin Olympics on Tuesday. Natsumi and Fukuda posted a time of 17 minutes, 33.1 seconds in Pragelato to finish fourth in their semifinal heat, 16.3 minutes behind Finland's Aino Kaisa Saarinen and Virpi Kuitunen, who topped the heat with a time of 17:16.8.
Olympics: Kato 'mortified' after Olympic nightmare
February 14, 2006It took just 35.59 seconds for 500-meter world record holder Joji Kato's Winter Olympic dream to turn into his worst nightmare. Kato came into the Turin Games with the hopes of a nation resting on his shoulders, but the burden proved too heavy and the 21-year-old speedster was left to rue what might have been after finishing a disappointing sixth at Oval Lingotto arena on Monday.
Olympics: Okazaki in 3rd after 1st run in women's 500
February 14, 2006Veteran speed skater Tomomi Ozaki made a bright start for Japan after coming third in the first run of the women's 500-meter event at the Turin Olympics on Tuesday. Okazaki, appearing in her fourth Olympics but nursing a slight cold, got a solid jump after the gun en route to timing 38.46 seconds to trail Russian Svetlana Zhurova and Wang Manli of China, who clocked 38.23 and 38.31, to take first and second at the Oval Lingotto arena.