Judo athlete, Kim Seong-yeon, is a 23-year old native of Gwangju. She was an Asian Games gold medalist in the women’s 70kg category. She won a gold against her rival, Arai Chizuru, who is a Japanese athlete ranked 11th in the world. This year, Kim graduated from Yongin University, a university famous for its judo instruction. After graduating, she joined Gwangju Metropolitan Transit Corporation.
She participated in the Incheon Asian Games, beating out Hwang Ye-seul who is a Guangzhou Asian Games gold medalist. Kim’s specialty is a shoulder throw technique. When she was 9 years old, she wore judogi (a judo uniform) all of the time at her parents’ suggestion. She discovered her talent for judo, and entered Chonnam Physical Education Middle and High School. In 2013, she finally became a national athlete and exercises at the Korean National Training Center. Last year, she won a bronze medal at the world championships. She came in third at the Russian Grand Slam, and got the gold medal in her first Asian Games debut. She grab the gold medal again last 2015 Summer Universiade. ()
Kim Seong-yeon won the Gold Medal at 2015 Gwangju Sunmmer Universiade (source; ArirangTV)
Public voting in the 2017 Taipei Universiade Design Selection Campaign chose the Formosan Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus formosanus) as this event’s mascot for its embodiment of courage and strength.
Winning entries from the Selection Campaign shall be optimized and re-designed by professional firms, and used as logos, slogans, mascots, and other identifying systems of the 2017 Taipei Universiade in order to represent the spirit of the sporting event. (Source:2017 Taipei Summer Universiade Organizing Committee)
Tatum Souza will represent the USA in the heptathlon at Universiade. In high school, she was a two-time Napa Valley Register Athlete of the Year, setting school records in the long jump and hurdles and breaking the Pacific Association heptathlon record with a total of 4,641 points. In 2012, as a sophomore at UCLA, Souza won the Cal Invite heptathlon crown with a lifetime-best total of 5,350 points. In 2013, she earned her second team All-American honors in the heptathlon by finishing ninth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Her 5,691 points at the NCAA championships placed her sixth athletes of all-time at UCLA.
The year 2014, however, was a difficult time for Tatum Souza. Her father, who had been a driving force in her athletic career, was diagnosed with cancer. In December, she suffered an injury. When she started running again in March, Souza found herself far behind her training partners. A few days later, her father passed away—eight months after his diagnosis.
One month later, Souza competed in the MT Sac relays heptathlon and put in a career-best effort and a score that would place her in the top four at the NCAA Championships and put her in second all-time top athlete at UCLA, behind world record holder Jackie Joyner. One thing is for sure: nobody is training harder or with more heart than Tatum Souza. (Source : GIC News, http://goo.gl/pxPC0s)
The popularity of do-it-yourself activities in recent years has led DIY hobbyists to ply Yongle Market in search of treasures. They have many options among the dozens of shops that sell an array of beautiful fabrics, imported materials, ribbons and leather goods.
Beside the market are Yongle and Dihua streets, where stores that sell DIY materials such as metal items, buttons, and sewing materials cater to people who like to make things with their hands.
There are also several long-established food stalls that sell must-try dishes, ranging from soft and chewy thick rice noodles to a delicious sailfish soup made by simmering sailfish meat in tasty broth.
Micro-journey around Taipei, #usportlab (source: Dept of Information and Tourism, Taipei City)
Bangka Longshan Temple- Discover the charm of an Historic Temple
At more than 200 years old, Longshan Temple has long been a local worship center where residents join in activities and gatherings. On display is the essence of Taiwanese temple art, from the dragon pillars in front of the main hall, a feature not seen anywhere else in Taiwan, to the gable roof and eaves decorated in a dragon, phoenix, and qilin motif. Adding to the wonderful atmosphere is colored glass and koji pottery.
After visiting Longshan Temple make sure to explore the medicinal herbs along Herb Lane and try a cup of healthy herbal or roselle tea. Next visit Bopiliao Historic Block to take in the striking Japanese characteristics of this historic corridor as you soak up the then-and-now atmosphere of Bangka.
Micro-journey around Taipei, #usportlab (source: Dept of Information and Tourism, Taipei City)
‘2015하계유니버시아드 스포츠랩’ (2015summeruniversiade.org) 독자여러분 감사합니다. 여러분 성원 덕분에 2015광주하계유니버시아드 대회에서 대한민국 국가대표 선수단이 사상 처음으로 세계종합스프츠대회에서 종합1위를 하였습니다. 그리고 블로그 일일 방문객이 1,000명에 달하였습니다.
당초 유랩은 광주U대회에 맞추어 운영키로 하였으나, 우리나라가 종합 1위 자리에 오른 것을 기념하고자, 또 한 늘어나는 방문객과 지속적인 소통을 하여 ‘U스포츠랩‘ (usportslab.org) 으로 사이트를 확대 개편하였습니다. 또 인스타그램 계정 (instagram.com/usportslab) 도 열었습니다.
앞으로 ‘U스포츠랩’은 2015광주하계유니버시아드대회에 더하여 다음에 개최되는 2017타이뻬이하계유니버시아드대회 등 대학스포츠의 스토리텔링을 이어나갈 것입니다. 개편된 블로그 ‘U스포츠랩‘과 인스타그램 ‘U스포츠랩‘에 여러분의 계속적인 관심과 기고를 기대합니다. 🙄
Micro-journey around Taipei, #usportlab (source: Dept of Information and Tourism, Taipei City)
Taipei, the hosting city of 2017 Summer universiade, is renowned for the convenient lifestyles, friendly people, and wonderful food it offers. Its creativity knows no bounds. In these pages you can discover more of what this fascinating city has to offer. The Culture & Heritage section introduces popular creative bases and pleasant city lanes and alleys. The Nature & Outdoors section introduces distinctive scenic spots with flourishing greenery. Upon opening the book, small items that represent the charm of the city are revealed. We hope that you have the opportunity to visit Taipei in person to create your own memories. Welcome to Taipei!
Dadaochang – A Century of Splendor
Situated on the bank of the Tamsui River is Dadaocheng, an early commercial center of Taipei. Over a century after this golden age, stores along Dihua street that sell dry foods and food ingredients, preserved fruits and candies, along with rice and bamboo products hearken back to this earlier age.
A popular attraction is Taipei Xia-Hai City God Temple. Here the Old Man under the Moon, or Matchmaking god, attracts single man and women eager to enlist his assistance in finding a good wife or husband. The architecture of Dadaocheng is also worth savoring, whether it＇s the fully preserved old blocks or the elaborately decorated Baroque-style buildings.
An historic district is bound to have many long-established stores, and Dadaocheng is no exception. Two favorites are Lee’s cake, which still insists on traditional baking methods, and Wang Tea, a century-old shop that sells tea leaves, teabags and teaware as it promotes traditional tea culture. (to be continued)
Dadaochang – A Century of Splendor, #usportslab (source: Dept of Information and Tourism, Taipei City)
Universiade Gwangju 2015; the journey from inception to conclusion
The Universiade Gwangju 2015 drew to a successful end on July 14. A total of 12,885 participants from 143 countries around the globe gathered in Gwangju, Republic of Korea for the 28thSummer Universiade. As Gwangju breaks the record of most participants in Universiade history, the host country finished at the top of the gold medal chart. The International University Sports Federation (FISU) President Claude-Louis Gallien confirmed the 2015 Summer Universiade as “a big, big success” thanks to the hard work put in by the Gwangju Universiade Organizing Committee (GUOC) for the past six years. The Universiade Gwangju 2015 had a number of key objectives and intriguing stories from inception to conclusion.
Gwangju’s bid for the 2015 Summer Universiade
On May 23, 2009, Gwangju won its bid to hold the 2015 Summer Universiade with a total of 397 points out of 410, scoring higher than its rival cities Edmonton, Canada (389 points) and Taipei, Chinese Taipei (354 points).In its final presentation, Gwangju highlighted three concepts for the games: the best competition environment, best conditions for the athletes, and cooperation with FISU. Gwangju further underlined the establishment of an eco-friendly “Eco-versiade” which facilitates existing facilities, an IT-friendly “IT-versiade” which links optical technology and digital technology, “Culture-versiade” which incorporates culture and art with the games, and finally “Peace-versiade” to promote the spirit of Gwangju which embraces democracy, human rights, and peace.
Gwangju was determined to win the bid for the Universiade, bidding also for 2013 when the city lost to Kazan, Russia. To boost its bid, Gwangju Metropolitan City mayor and officials traveled across the world to carry out an aggressive campaign, notching up 91 days abroad in talks with FISU Executive Committee Members for two years.
volunteers entering into the Universiade Main Stadium for closing ceremony (#usportslab)
While preparing for the 2015 Summer Universiade, Gwangju residents have been participating in various foreign language courses and training to gain confidence and practical experience for the past five years. The courses were taught by native speaking instructors in five languages (English, French, Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish) twice a week. Volunteers who attended the program not only played a key role during the Universiade but also will be an asset for the host city.
In June, 2010, the GUOC presented a 6,500 page master plan which includes preparation plans and strategies in 21 functional areas and 330 projects. A year after Gwangju won the bid in August, the GUOC decided to utilize the 30 year old Hwajeong Jookong Apartment Complex for the Athletes Village. The construction was launched in September 2012 after Gwangju signed an agreement with the Hwajeong Jookong Reconstruction Association and Hyundai Engineering and Construction in May 2011.
The three new construction venues were complete three months prior to the opening ceremony and were utilized as test event venues from April. As a result, test events for all 21 disciplines were successfully conducted before the actual games. The six year preparation process was focused on hosting an outstanding event for all participants without burdening the city’s welfare.
citizen supporters and competition supporters at Volleyball court (#usportslab)
Pre-conditioning for success: Gwangju Universiade characteristics
Gwangju’s overall aim is to embrace the ‘EPIC (Eco-friendliness, Peace, IT, and Culture)’ initiative. The Universiade Gwangju 2015 is proudly known as “Ecoversiade” by minimizing new constructions and its carbon foot print. The GUOC has been one of the front runners to be in line with global initiatives to rein in the snowballing costs of hosting mega-sporting events.
Only three out of 69 venues that were used during the games are newly constructed while the other 66 venues were refurbished and renovated. The newly built facilities use renewable energy such as solar energy and geothermal heat as one of the main sources of energy for heating and air-conditioning. As of ‘Peace’, the GUOC and UNOSDP (United Nations Sport for Development) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to fulfill and share the value of peace by hosting the EPICS Forum and Youth Leaders Program.
The EPICS Forum was held in Gwangju for three consecutive years, from 2013 to 2015. During these events, world famous professors and experts in the fields of “Eco,” “Peace,” “IT,” “Culture,” and “Sports” gave lectures and inspired 500 college and graduate students. The Youth Leadership Program (YLP) was held in conjunction with the EPICS forum by the GUOC and UNOSDP. It was held to empower youth from developing backgrounds and conflict zones. The program helped give the tools and grow a community’s capacity to build on its strengths and respond to pressing community needs.
reporters and sports photographers at media zone in Jinwol International tennis court.
The organizing committee was invited to a special event to celebrate the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace at the UN headquarters in New York on April 15th. To reflect the ‘Gwangju Spirit (peace and sharing)’, the city has stepped up to provide relief to those in need following the devastating earthquake in Nepal, which claimed over 1,000 lives. The organizing committee organized a fund-raising event from May 21-29 to support the Nepalese athletes’ participation in the Universiade games.
The GUOC and SK C&C, one of Gwangju Universiade’s Global Premium Partners, awarded “happiness scholarships” to eight athletes who had overcome poverty, disaster, sickness, and disability. The scholarship program was an opportunity to encourage youth around the world to never give up and live their dreams. In a first for an international sporting event, all venues and the Athletes Village will were equipped with free WiFi. Meanwhile, 60 digital camera-equipped students captured every moment of the Gwangju Universiade for 24 hours and posted the news on YouTube which was viewed from over 150 countries.
Based on Korea’s state-of-the-art IT technology, a total integration management system (TIMS) was developed to comprehensively and organically integrate event operation, event support, event schedules and results, media support, Internet interfaces, and mobile information management. The easy-to-use, friendly, and seamless IT service was a platform to connect and communicate efficiently.
To embrace the culture in EPIC, multiple festivals and cultural events took place throughout the city. Several programs produced by the youth were held during the World Youth Festival at Democracy Square in Asian Culture Complex. With additional cultural events held at the near-completed Asian Culture Complex, Gwangju demonstrated its readiness to take its place as both a Sporting Hub, tourism center, and Hub City of Asian Culture, under the government’s new program to forge cultural ties with countries of Asia.
Anti-doping and cardiac screening projects have been established to raise personal health awareness. The GUOC, FISU and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have published a free anti-doping textbook for university students on 5 continents, in Korean, English, French, Russian, and Spanish, to promote and educate athletes on anti-doping. Also, free cardiac screening was provided throughout the games to prevent cardiac injuries. The cardiac screening program is groundbreaking in the international sports community, as no other testing has been performed on a large stage such as at the Universiade.
With the recent Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak which led a few countries to withdraw from the games, there were concerns to whether the Universiade would be a success. Despite the concerns, the GUOC ran a tight ship to overcome the challenges. As a result, the organizing committee had top-notch physicians in the Athletes Village Polyclinic to look after the participants’ medical needs. Heat sensors were installed in the competition venues, Athletes Village, and Main Media Center (MMC) to prevent MERS. In addition, the World Health Organization and FISU Medical Committee were on-site to make sure all participants and visitors were safe from the virus.
medical team looking after the injured player at women’s handball game (#usportslab)
Without the cooperation and support from the local community, the Gwangju Universiade would not have been such a success. Gwangju residents gave a warm welcome to the athletes and did their best for the visitors to have a wonderful time in Gwangju. In addition, the local residents cheered and encouraged delegations from developing backgrounds. Instead of driving cars, Gwangju locals also decided to take the public transportation during the Universiade.
In addition, 9,315 volunteers from around the globe worked hard to host a fantastic Universiade. Many of them worked as interpreters and were key communicators between the athletes and locals. It was collective effort from all volunteers and residents of the city for providing great memories for all visitors.
Gwangju Universiade facts and figures
The Gwangju Universiade featured 21 sports with 272 gold medals in addition to Chinese Taipei and Japan sharing the gold for men’s baseball and USA and Australia sharing the gold in swimming. 12,885 participants from 143 countries took part, making the Universiade Gwangju 2015 the largest ever.
In the 2015 Summer Universiade, the Republic of Korea finished at the top of the medal charts with 47 gold medals, along with 32 silver and 29 bronze. Russia, which had won 156 gold medals to top the 2013 Summer Universiade on its home turf in Kazan, finished in second place with 34 golds, but collected the largest overall number of medals with an additional 39 silver and 49 bronze. China was third with 34 gold, 22 silver, and 16 bronze medals. followed by Japan and the United States.
Athletes bag multiple medals and set new world record at the Gwangju Universiade. Swimmer Shannon Vreeland from the US clinched four golds in women’s 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 4×100 freestyle relay and 4×200 freestyle relay. Aside from the four victories, she took a bronze medal in the women’s 4×100 medley relay.
Ukraine’s gymnast Oleg Verniaiev bagged the highest number of medals of six at the Gwangju Universiade. His medal tally started when his gymnastics team took bronze in the men’s team on July 5. On July 6, he won his first gold medal in Gwangju, presenting his high-end skills as the No. 1 ranked male gymnast and topped the men’s individual all-around.
women’s water polo game between France and Japan (#usportslab)
Son Yeon-jae from the Republic of Korea showed her artistic and technical performance as a world-class rhythmic gymnast in Gwangju, clinching five medals. She was ranked second in the individual medal tally among all athletes at this Universiade, taking three golds in the individual all-round, ball and hoop and two silvers in the clubs and ribbon. Son marked the first Asian rhythmic gymnast to win gold in the all-around at the World Cup series and the first Korean to win gold at the Asian Games all-around segment of rhythmic gymnastics.
China’s Yang Haoran won five medals – three golds, one silver and one bronze – in men’s shooting. Yang took three gold medals in the 10m air rifle team, 50m rifle 3 positions, 50m rifle 3 positions team. He added a silver in the 10m air rifle and a bronze in the 50m rifle prone.
Sprinter Viktoriya Zyabkina from Kazakhstan has drawn attention by taking three golds in the women’s 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay. She won the 100m final with 11.46 and won the 200m final with 22.77. The 22-year-old became the first woman in 28 years to be a double gold medalist in the two sprint events of a Universade. The last woman to win both events at a past Universiade was Gwen Torrence of the United States in 1987.
Archer Ki Bo-bae from the Republic of Korea has become the only athlete to set a new world record in Gwangju. She took two gold and one silver medals at the Universiade. Ki shattered an archery world record in a women’s recurve individual preliminary with a combined 686 out of the perfect 720 points, surpassing the previous record of 682 set by her compatriot Park Sung-hyun at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
In addition, 31 Universiade records – 10 in archery, 5 in swimming, 13 in shooting, 3 in athletics – were broken throughout the event. South African sprinter Akani Simbine was thrilled to have broken the record in becoming the fastest man ever in the history of Universiades over 100m. The 21-year-old speedster set a new Games record as he clinched the 100m crown in a flying time of 9.97 seconds. The sprinter from the Republic of Korea, Kim Kuk-young set a national record in the men’s 100-meter sprint at the ongoing Summer Universiade on Thursday. Kim finished his semifinal run in 10.16 seconds, battering his own five-year-old record by 0.07 second. The record breaking results affirmed the Universiade as a stepping stone for potential medalists in the coming Olympics.
string of team badges suveniored from participants of Gwangju universiade 2015 (#usportslab)
Feedback from participants
As ESPN provided coverage of the US basketball competitions during the Gwangju Universiade, Todd Myers, director of programming and acquisitions for ESPN said, “Service provided for the media was excellent. The hard work and language services provided by the attaches (volunteer interpreters) left a positive impression of the games and the city.”
Cathy Lin, 2017 Taipei Universiade Organizing Committee Chief of Media and PR, said “Gwangju Universiade displayed unity and cooperation between the athletes, volunteers, and local community. Taipei needs to learn from Gwangju and follow suit.” Lena Mihailovic, Australian Water Polo Athlete, said, “I am thankful for the warm welcome and hospitality from the local community.” Godwin Byamukama, sprinter from Uganda, said, “Gwangju is a beautiful city. The people, architecture, and environment are well balanced.”
Ali Asif, Pakistan delegation attache, said “It is a pleasure to be an attache for the Universiade with my international sports management and sports communication background and knowledge. I hope I can contribute to sports management in Pakistan with my experience and knowledge from the Universiade Gwangju 2015.” Lee Man-ku, transportation volunteer, said “Even though I have lived in Korea all my life, I have never been to Gwangju before. After working as a volunteer, I discovered that the city has great potential and I wish Gwangju all the best.”
It’s time to say goodbye ‘friends’ at Songjeong railway station (#usportslab)
The impact and legacy of Gwangju 2015
Despite the mounting criticism behind attracting large-scale events which usually result in fewer benefits than the cost, FISU President Claude-Louis Gallien refuted those remarks by saying “hosting mega sports events can bring much more indirect benefits to the host city than it actually costs.” He added, “With the Gwangju Universiade Organizing Committee (GUOC), we have built human resources in Gwangju. If they want to organize a big event again, thousands of people in Gwangju can do so as they all have been educated to do that, So, what we are doing is an investment for human resources. Gwangju has many indirect revenues. Considering these things, hosting big events can bring more than it costs,” the president said.
The Gwangju Universiade seems to have succeeded in cutting costs so as not to burden municipal finances. To reduce construction costs, the GUOC chose to use nearby sports facilities. Among a total of 69 facilities, including competition venues and training centers, only three facilities ― Nambu University International Aquatics Center, Gwangju International Archery Center and Kwangju Women’s University Gym ― were newly built. The Jinwol International Tennis Court was extended to meet the international standards. The new and extended venues will be open to residents after the Universiade.
The GUOC said the decision to utilize remaining sports facilities, especially at nearby universities, was made after considering the positive effects of attracting more residents. In line with the GUOC’s eco-friendly strategy, the Universiade also has gained attention for transforming 30-year-old apartments into accommodation for athletes from 170 countries. The athletes’ village, in Hwajeong-dong, Gwangju, consists of 2,185 apartment rooms. It will be sold off as either rentals or condominiums after the Universiade.
The move to reuse facilities in a bid to reduce expenses is also seen at the award ceremonies. The GUOC was offered event materials for awards ceremony, including 120 victory stands from the organizing committee of the 2014 Incheon Asian Game free of charge. With help from Incheon, the GUOC cut down its budget by up to 120 million won ($105,480). The GUOC also will hand over the equipment to the International Military Sports Council (CISM) Military World Games, which will take place at Korea’s southeastern city of Mungyeong in October. With its efforts, the organizing committee saved 134.5 billion won in construction fees and 65.4 billion won in operating costs. The total Universiade budget was set at 619 billion won.
diploma of participation of Gwangju Universiade 2015 (#usportslab)
After hosting the 28thSummer Universiade, Gwangju has been viewed in a positive light. According to Gwangju Development Institute, 34,000 posts of the Gwangju Universiade were mentioned in social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and blogs from July 2 to 8. Posts have increased by tenfold compared to June, where there were 3,300 posts in average per day. Many students all over the world have uploaded their posts on their Social Networking Services (SNS) to cheer for their friends and teams. Also, 94.2% and 87,689 posts that mentioned Gwangju Universiade were positive remarks.
Gwangju Metropolitan City was also ranked 24th in the most influential global sports cities in the world, according to Sportcal. Sportcal has researched more than 600 cities to analyze the influential global sports cities in the world and announced the index in November 2014. Gwangju held 24th place, stepping up 10 ranks from 2013. In addition, the national index of Republic of Korea ranked 10th.
Throughout the six years of hard work and dedication, Gwangju was able to host a successful Universiade. As the 28thWorld University Games came to an end, distinct differentiations such as eco & economics to reduce the budget, peace & development through the sports, IT & communication, education for the universities in the world, and cultural festivals of the Universiade Gwangju have received the spotlight leaving the city a lasting legacy. (Story source : http://www.gwangju2015.com/adieu-gwangju)
Taipei, host city of 2017 Summer Universiade, leads the march of National Colors attending the closing ceremony of 2015 Summer Universiade at Gwangju, Korea on 14th July 2
national colours are perading in row for attending the closing ceremony of Gwnagju universiade 2015 (#usportslab)
13,000 participants of Athletics, Officials, Technical Delegations, ITOs, FISU Family from 143 countries are mingling with 50,000 spectators, volunteers, citizen supporters at the main stadium of 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade to cerebrate the shining moments of the ever largest world youth sports feast at the closing Ceremony on 14th July 2015, Korea.
It’s the time to say good-bye, see you all at Taipei 2017 #usportslab
usportslab 