Australia Superbike Test Yamaha Wrap Up

Yamaha World Superbike Team riders Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri completed their three--day test at the Phillip Island circuit in Australia on Thursday.

The two new signings for the 2011 World Superbike season spent the three days testing out various parts including new Ohlins (TRVP25) front forks on both the 2010 and 2011 Yamaha racebike.

A large part of the test for both riders, particularly Melandri, included ongoing physical modifications to the YZF-R1 superbike to fit their riding style, adjusting foot pegs, handlebars and other geometry settings.

The Yamaha Superbike team enjoyed good weather, sunshine and a dry track for the first two days of the World Superbike test with rain only appearing in the last minutes of day two.

The third and final day saw more sunshine with rain only at lunchtime and towards the end of the day's sessions.

The 2011 superbike tested by the riders featured a revised weight balance, the new Ohlins forks, new engine performance parts and a different seat and fuel tank design. The bike also features standard fuel injectors and fuel pump in line with the 2011 racing regulations.

Laverty was clearly enjoying his third outing on the R1, having been impressively quick in the first two tests, he was again fast from the off, leaving Australia as the fastest rider of the test with a blistering 1'31.5 lap on soft race tires at the end of day three, over half a second faster than closest rider, 2010 World Superbike Champion Max Biaggi.

Laverty also spent some time on race simulation, putting in consistently fast race pace laps.

Following his one-day superbike test in Valencia last month this was Marco Melandri's first proper opportunity to work through some set up developments on his new Yamaha R1 racebike.

The Italian Yamaha rider improved steadily over the test days, making steps each day as the team continued to modify the physical set up of the bike to suit him.

Day three saw him record a 1'32.4 lap on race tyres. Melandri also took the opportunity in the rain to experience his bike on Pirelli wet tires. The team now have valuable data to take away to work over the winter to make further changes to suit the new riders in advance of the first test of 2011 next year.

Eugene Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike Team, 232 laps, Best Lap 1'31.5) says: "I'm pretty pleased with the test, it's a nice way to go into the winter break. In the three days we got a lot of laps done, the second day especially was big breakthrough."

"So far we've had two one day tests so the second day here was where we really made the bike mine. The race times on the 2011 machine weren't so far away from 2010 bike so we're developing in the right direction. The new Ohlins front fork is definitely an improvement. I'm still learning this bike so we are fine tuning it as we go."

Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team, 216 laps, Best Lap 1'32.4) says: "It was a good test in the end, the three days were very intensive. It was quite challenging at first working on the 2011 Yamaha machine but during the second day we started to find a way and then third day we found a big improvement and found a good pace for the race."

"The rain meant we couldn't find a good lap time with a soft tire but for me that wasn't what was important here. The difference between a MotoGP bike and a superbike on this track are huge, the bike moves a lot more so the faster corners are very different but step by step it's getting better and better."

"The feeling is very good, I'm very happy. The track is a difficult track so we have done well and I think we can be very strong for the first race here next year."

Andrea Dosoli (Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager) "These were three very important days for us, after the shakedown of the new bike in Valencia here we had the chance to work on it in more detail."

"We have confirmed that the new bike is pretty good with high potential. We are pleased that it can keep consistent lap times during race simulation. For this we are quite happy as on this track in the past we have struggled."

"Eugene was very fast from the beginning in all three days and had a good feeling working on both bikes. Marco has been working hard, mainly on the 2011 bike. He has been working on rider position; there are still some areas we have to improve for him to be more comfortable on the bike."

"He was very consistent with race pace although he didn't have time to try a flying lap. After the first two days he struggled a bit with setup then today he found a good one that worked for him and was comfortable so the lap times improved. Overall the Yamaha test was very positive and we are confident we have a good base for the Philip Island race."

Final World Superbike Test Times, Phillip Island:
Eugene Laverty (Yamaha Sterilgarda) 01'31.5
Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) 01'32.1
Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia) 01'32.4
Marco Melandri (Yamaha Sterilgarda) 01'32.4

Read More

Ferguson eyes key wins over Arsenal and Chelsea

Sir Alex Ferguson believes Manchester United can take a giant step towards regaining the Premier League title if they win this month's crunch clashes against Arsenal and Chelsea.

United moved two points clear at the top of the table last weekend after Chelsea's latest stumble at Newcastle dropped them to second place and Ferguson's side can extend that lead with victory over the champions and then Arsenal in the coming weeks.

The third placed Gunners, who are also two points behind United, visit Old Trafford on December 13, with United's trip to Stamford Bridge following six days later. And as Arsenal and Chelsea meet themselves on December 27, Ferguson accepts it is going to be a crucial period.

"You always want to win those games because they are really significant," Ferguson told Inside United.

"We have managed to claw ourselves into a position where we are two points ahead of Chelsea, so the game at Stamford Bridge and Arsenal's trip to Manchester will certainly be very important, there's no doubt about that.

"We saw that last season - some big decisions didn't go our way in the two matches against Chelsea and they ended up costing us important points."

A foul by Didier Drogba on Wes Brown was missed by the referee as John Terry scored the winner for Chelsea against United at Stamford Bridge last season, while a Drogba goal at Old Trafford later in the season was shown to be offside.

Read More

Newcastle defender Williamson signs new deal

Newcastle United defender Mike Williamson signed a new five-and-a-half year contract with the Premier League club on Friday.

Williamson has played a key role in Newcastle's solid start to life back in the English top-flight after last season's promotion from the Championship.

Magpies manager Chris Hughton rates the 27-year-old as one of the finest English central defenders on current form and was delighted to hand him an improved deal.

Hughton said: "Mike has been outstanding for us since he came. He was somebody who I tracked for a while before we got him, and he has perhaps exceeded even the expectations we had of him.

"He has a brilliant attitude and in my opinion has been one of the best English centre-backs in the league this season."

Former Portsmouth centre-back Williamson added: "I've played in the lower leagues before, so to get the opportunity to play at St James' Park every other week - and grounds like The Emirates and Old Trafford - is fantastic for me.

"Me and my family have settled here quickly and it's great to know that we'll be staying here for a long time to come."

Read More

Goalball Team Aims To Finish Among Top Five In Asia

Kuala Lumpur - The national goalball squad competing in the six-day Asian Para Games in Guangzhou, China, from Dec 12-19, hope to finish among the top five teams in Asia. National coach D. Narayanasamy said all six players are determined to put up a good show in Guangzhou. Goalball is a highly competitive sport played three-against-three, indoors, primarily by blind and visually impaired athletes. "In the goalball event, we are not a powerhouse. If we are able to finish among the top five teams in Asia, it will considered a good achievement," he told Bernama today. Narayanasamy said among the countries which may pose a stiff challenge in the competition are Iran, China, Japan and South Korea. "We are only sending the men's team but I hope we are capable of forming a strong women's team in the future," he said. He said the national goalball squad was scheduled to leave for Guangzhou on Dec 6. The six goalball players who will head Malaysia's challenge to Guangzhou are Hilmi Mohd Zulkifly, C. Sathiro, Husnaini Samsudin, Hadi Sayong, Shah Aizat Shahrin and Mohd Khairul Nizam Che Ibrahim. Apart from goalball, Malaysia will also take part in 14 other sports, including badminton, boccia, archery, athletics, table tennis, powerlifting, swimming, tenpin bowling, wheel chair tennis, cycling and rowing.

Read More

Local legend inspires mascots and emblem

If we look carefully at the Asian Games emblem, is seems to be a simple flame, but the rising torch-like curves actually outline the Five Celestial Goats, a famous Guangzhou landmark.

The emblem is indeed designed to symbolizing the dynamic athletic flare of the Games, but it also represents Guangzhou in many ways.

The design of both the 16th Asian Games emblem and its mascots was inspired by a legend about the city of Guangzhou materialized in a huge statue in the heart of the city — the Sculpture of the Five Rams.

As the legend goes, a long time ago the farm lands in Guangzhou ran dry. Crops could not be grown and a famine struck the people. They could do nothing but pray to the heavens for good luck. One day, a heavenly melody suddenly rang out and five angels came down from the heavens, each wearing different colored coats. The angels arrived riding on goats, and each goat carried bundles of rice with their teeth. The immortals gave the rice to the people of Guangzhou, and promised that the land would soon be free of famine.

The angels then rose up to the clouds and gradually disappeared. The five goats they left behind turned into stone. From that time onward Guangzhou reaped bumper harvests of grain every year and became the most prosperous city in south China. The story has been passed down from generation to generation and has rendered Guangzhou the title “The Ram City”.

The Sculpture of the Five Rams, located within the 868,000 square meter recreational and cultural Yuexiu Park, was created in 1959 by three famous Chinese sculptors; Ying Jichang, Kong Fanwei and Chen Benzhong. The Yuexiu Park itself is a historic scenic spot in the city, constructed around the year 1380 during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty.

The sculpture is made of 53 cubic meters of granite, including the base, and stands over 10 meters tall. The heads of the rams weigh two tons each, and the two-meter horns weigh over 500 kilograms.

The sculpture is surrounded by verdant woods and the nearby Nanxiu Lake glistens with silvery ripples and picturesque reflections.

Locals regard the statute as the city’s emblem. In 1989, more stones carvings in commemorating this moving legend expanded the Five Rams Scenic Area into today’s Five Rams Celestial Court.

The five goats, which together are known as Le Yangyang, have been made into the five cute and sporty official mascots of the 16th Asian Games.

Each of the five goats has a different color coinciding the colors of the five Olympic rings, thereby embodying the Olympic spirit at the Asian Games. The names of the five goats are A Xiang, A He, A Ru, A Yi and Le Yangyang, which when spoken together form the Chinese phrase “Xiang He Ru Yi Le Yangyang”, meaning “Peace, Harmony and Great Happiness, with everything going as you wish”.

Both the emblem and the mascot are the result of a long and tight competition.

By June 2007, a total of 812 mascots proposals had been received by the Guangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee (GAGOC), including submissions from the US, Germany, Canada, Australia, Taiwan and Hong Kong. About 100 entries were short-listed, and on Dec. 2007 the five goats were selected by GAGOC as the basic concept for the Asian Games mascot.

Even before being made official, the mascot, together with Beijing Olympic Games Fuwa and Paralympics Games mascot Funiu Lele, was recognized with the Best Sports Cartoon prize at the first China International Cartoon and Animation Festival and Award Ceremony and again at the 5th Golden Dragon Original Cartoon and Animation Contest on Sept. 28, 2008.

In April 2010, the five goats concept was approved by GAGOC as the official mascot for the games.

“This corresponds with the concept of the 16th Asian Games — “Thrilling Games, Harmonious Asia”, the organizing committee said in a statement.

The competition for the emblem started in Sept. 2006 when the GAGOC invited several companies and a postgraduate from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts to participate in the design competition, asking them to submit designs for consideration.

Some 100 designs were collected. After repeated modification and screening rounds, the piece by Guangzhou-based designer Zhang Qiang and his design team of Zhongjia Design Co. Ltd. [including Zhang Yi, Yang Jingsong, Hatoli Hikahiko, Li Chenjia and Liang Yihui] won the competition.

“When you put the five names of the mascots together, they represent the hopes of local people that the Games will bring peace, auspiciousness and happiness to the people of Asia,” said GAGOC publicity director Luo Jingjun, as quoted by the SEA Games official website.

— JP/Matheos Viktor Messakh

Fun Fact and features of Le Yangyang

The five colors of the mascots are identical with the colors of the Olympic Rings. “It is to imply that the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games inherits and carries forward the Olympics spirit.”

The blue “A Xiang” symbolizes the meandering and flowing Pearl River as well as the cordial character and the open-mindedness of Guangzhou people.

The black “A He” symbolizes the long history of Lingnan culture and the profound historical and cultural heritage of the ancient city.

The red “A Ru” symbolizes the city’s floral emblem, Kapok.

The green “A Yi” symbolizes Baiyun Mountain.

The yellow “Le Yangyang” is identical with the colors of rice ears and symbolizes harvest and joy.

Read More

China downplays historic Asian Games medal haul

China wrapped up the Asian Games with a record 199 gold medals, more than double its nearest rival but not quite enough for team leaders to relax preparations for the 2012 London Olympics.

The Chinese appear driven to repeat their performance from Beijing two years ago, when they topped the gold medal count for the very first time at the Olympics.

China faced little resistance at the Asian Games, widely seen as an Olympic warm-up event, winning so many golds that the result sometimes just seemed like a foregone conclusion.

At a wrap up news conference Saturday, Chinese delegation chief Duan Shijie rattled off a list of gold medal sweeps: diving, table tennis, basketball, beach volleyball, canoe and kayak. All the golds in women's boxing, which is making its debut in London. Also top finishes in women's gymnastics, handball and water polo. He did not mention the 10-gold sweep in the non-Olympic dance sport event.

Basically, China blew away the competition with its 199 gold medals, capping it off by rallying from two sets down to beat South Korea in the women's volleyball final - the last event on the program.

South Korea was second in the medal standings and trailed far behind with 76 gold. Japan didn't even reach 50 this time.

Duan pledged his delegation will be "sober in confronting the realities" for London.

"Just because we have been successful at the Asian Games doesn't mean we are bound to be successful again at the London Olympic games," he said.

Duan pointed out that many Chinese athletes still lag behind top international competition, with their success in Guangzhou strongly linked to the easier regional competition. Another troubling issue was a weaker showing in some sports that China has traditionally dominated at the continental games, such as weightlifting, archery and wrestling, delegation secretary-general Cai Jiadong said.

"If we look at the prospects of our performance for the Olympic Games we are not that optimistic," Cai said, repeating the modest assessment that Chinese officials typically give ahead of the event.

The Chinese officials brushed off criticism that one country's domination at such sporting events was bad for competition.

"Every delegation participated at these games to obtain the best possible result," Cai said. "Even though we were top of the medal tally, it doesn't mean we have a monopoly."

"We hope we set a good example, we hope that the attention and support from the Chinese government and the Chinese people can be some sort of reference for some other countries and their people," he added.

China's overwhelming domination has even attracted criticism in state media, which normally hews closely to the ruling Communist Party's line. Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Ming wrote in a commentary that the government should be focused not on developing elite athletes, but promoting fitness among ordinary people to combat the country's growing problems with obesity and related health issues.

Some have speculated that Guangzhou's hosting of the Asian Games was part of an effort to bring the Olympics to the southern Chinese city. Beijing hosted the Asian Games in 1990 before holding the Olympics in 2008.

Cai said there were "no plans at the moment" to bring the Olympics to Guangzhou. (Anita Chang, The Associated Press)

Read More

Asian Games athletes bag big bonuses

State Minister for Youth and Sports Affairs Andi Alfian Mallarangeng handed out Rp 45.4 billion (US$5 million) in bonuses to athletes who won medals at the recent Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, and their managers.

The minister said he was satisfied with Indonesia’s winnings – 4 gold medals, 9 silver medals and 13 bronze medals – so that Indonesia was ranked 15th out of the 46 participant countries at the Asian Games.

Andi said he hoped the bonus would increase athlete motivation for the 2014 Asian Games, so that Indonesian athletes could meet the target of 8 gold medals.

“There was no discrimination in the distribution of bonuses. Each athlete got the same amount,” he said. Individual and group athletes each received the same amount of money “even though we had to increase the budget to meet our promise,” he said.

The amount of money the government provided in bonuses was larger than previous games, as the men’s dragon boat team, comprised of 22 athletes, won gold. Meanwhile, the women’s dragon boat team won 3 silver medals.

Each gold medal winner got Rp 400 million and each silver medalist Rp 200 million, while the manager’s of gold medalists received Rp 100 million and silver medal manager’s got Rp 50 million.

Read More

Archive