South Koreans happy to compete against top class biathletes at home

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By Joo Kyung-don

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea, March 3 (Yonhap) — Two South Korean biathletes said Friday they were happy to race against the top competitors at the International Biathlon Union (IBU) World Cup in front of a home crowd.

Kim Jong-min and Kim Yong-gyu were the two South Koreans in the men’s sprint at the IBU Biathlon World Cup in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, some 180 kilometers east of Seoul. The IBU competition at Alpensia Biathlon Centre is one of the test events for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics Games.

In the 10-kilometer race, Jong-min finished 87th among 103 biathletes with a time of 26 minutes, 38.9 seconds despite shooting clean. Yong-gyu ended up in 94th place at 26:59.5, with two errors in shooting.

Their record was more than three minutes behind the winner Julian Eberhard of Austria, who clocked 23:11.0, but the two Kims said they’ve learned lots of things from the World Cup at home.

“I think I had a good record because I was competing at home,” said Jong-min whose career highest sprint World Cup finish is 79th place. “If you miss the same number of shots in shooting, you can recover quickly compared to competitions in foreign countries.”

South Korea's Kim Jong-min competes in the men's sprint at the IBU Biathlon World Cup at Alpensia Biathlon Centre in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, on March 3, 2017. (Yonhap)

South Korea’s Kim Jong-min competes in the men’s sprint at the IBU Biathlon World Cup at Alpensia Biathlon Centre in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, on March 3, 2017. (Yonhap)

Yong-gyu said he had a “different feeling” when racing in front of a home crowd.

“Biathlon events have always been a festival only for Europeans,” he said. “But I was happy that I can compete in this Olympic test event at home. I was happy that I can race for South Korea.”

Yong-gyu was coming off a solid performance at the Asian Winter Games in Japan, last week. The 23-year-old became the first South Korean to have a podium finish at international competitions after winning the bronze medal in the men’s 12.5km pursuit.

But at the World Cup where top class athletes compete, he discovered that there are many things to learn.

“Obviously, the level of competition is different,” he said. “Today I was so hasty in my shooting. I know I have to improve more.”

For Jong-min, the World Cup also provided a big lesson.

“I always learn from watching these top class biathletes,” he said. “Today, I was lucky that I hit all 10 targets. But still, I think I have to improve in shooting and my mental strength.”

Within the national team, the two Kims are working with two naturalized athletes — Alexander Starodubets and Timofey Lapshin. Both Starodubets and Lapshin are born Russians, but decided to compete under the South Korean flag for the PyeongChang Olympics recently. The two Russia-born athletes didn’t compete in Friday’s event.

South Korea's Kim Yong-gyu competes in the men's sprint at the IBU Biathlon World Cup at Alpensia Biathlon Centre in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, on March 3, 2017. (Yonhap)

South Korea’s Kim Yong-gyu competes in the men’s sprint at the IBU Biathlon World Cup at Alpensia Biathlon Centre in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, on March 3, 2017. (Yonhap)

Jong-min said he welcomes the naturalized athletes with good careers to the national team.

Starodubets, who became a South Korean citizen last year, previously finished seventh in the individual race at the 2012 Biathlon Junior World Championships. Lapshin, who earned South Korean citizenship earlier this month, is the silver medalist in the men’s relay event at the 2009 Biathlon Junior World Championships. He also won World Cup gold medals in 2014 and 2015.

“Since they have better careers than us, I think I can learn from them,” he said. “I think it’s good for promoting biathlon in the country.”

Yong-gyu admitted that the addition of the two former Russian national team members serves as a big challenge for him. But for the future of the South Korean biathlon, he also thinks it’s a positive move.

“If we think about the next three or four years, I think it’s good for us,” he said. “Already, our national team is getting better. In terms of techniques and shooting, we are improving with help from foreign coaches.”

kdon@yna.co.kr

(END)

Source : Yonhap News Agency

Korea DPR will qualify for ‘some events’ at 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea: official

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SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) — North Korea will qualify for “some events” at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games to be held in South Korea, a Pyongyang sports official said Friday.

Chang Ung, the lone International Olympic Committee (IOC) member from North Korea, told the Choson Sinbo newspaper that athletes from his country will play their way into the Olympics in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, next year.

The Chosun Sinbo — a newspaper of Chongryon, a Tokyo-based organization of pro-Pyongyang Korean residents in Japan — is not the North’s state media, but it serves as an unofficial mouthpiece for Pyongyang.

The PyeongChang event will be the first Winter Olympics to take place in South Korea.

Chang didn’t specify in which sports he thought North Korean athletes will earn their Olympic eligibility.

According to the Chosun Sinbo, Chang also said there would be several obstacles to the North-South co-hosting of the Olympics.

Chang did point out that sports could be a “catalyst” for reunification of the Koreas, “once the Koreas reach a point where improvements in relations will be desperately needed.”

While visiting Sapporo, Japan, for the Asian Winter Games last month, Chang had told the Japanese press that “there was no reason for us not to participate” in the PyeongChang Olympics.

PyeongChang organizers have said they will keep the doors open to North Korea. Lee Hee-beom, the chief organizer, had repeatedly said any peace-loving country has the right and obligation to take part in the Olympic Games, and that North Korea’s participation would be handled in accordance with international rules and customs.

jeeho@yna.co.kr

(END)

Source : Yonhap News Agency

Apuração do carnaval do Rio e em São Paulo turbina audiência da Globo

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A apuração dos Desfiles das Escolas de Samba do Rio, quarta-feira (1º), rendeu bons índices de audiência para Globo, de acordo com o Ibope. Na Grande São Paulo, a emissora atingiu 18 pontos de média e 36% de participação. O índice foi o maior dos últimos 7 anos e ficou 1 ponto (6%) acima da média da faixa nas 4 quartas anteriores.

Já, no Rio, a apuração registrou 39 pontos e 68% de participação. É a maior média dos últimos 8 anos – desde 2009 (40 pontos), a Globo não marcava número tão elevado. Foram mais 17 pontos de audiência (77% de crescimento), comparando com a média da faixa nas 4 quartas anteriores.

A Portela foi a grande campeã do carnaval carioca, quebrando um jejum de 33 anos. No segundo ano com o carnavalesco Paulo Barros, a escola desfilou na avenida as lendas dos rios. Agora com 22 títulos, é que mais vezes foi campeã. A Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel ficou em segundo lugar e a Acadêmicos do Salgueiro, em terceiro.

 

Flávio Ricco com colaboração de José Carlos Nery

Jornalismo da TV Cultura contrata Ana Paula Couto e Maria Manso

Divulgação

A TV Cultura acaba de contratar Ana Paula Couto e Maria Manso para o seu jornalismo.

Couto tem passagens pela GloboNews e Rede TV!, enquanto Manso já esteve nas principais emissoras, como Record, Globo, onde trabalhou durante 12 anos, SBT – duas passagens, e a própria Cultura.

Ana Paula Couto havia deixado a GloboNews e foi contratada pela Rede TV! para participar do programa “Sem Rodeios”, mas não ficou nem dois meses na nova emissora. O programa também não vingou e deixou o ar por causa da baixa audiência.

Quanto a Maria Manso, ela contou ao UOL, em matéria publicada em junho do ano passado, os seus planos fora da televisão. Ela deixou o vídeo por vontade própria, virou empresária e decidiu ir atrás do registro de atriz. Participou inclusive da montagem da peça “Os Miseráveis”.

 

Flávio Ricco com colaboração de José Carlos Nery

Patrícia Abravanel assume “Show do Milhão” e fica com 2 programas no SBT

Patrícia Abravanel

Acabou o mistério em relação ao nome que vai apresentar o novo “Show do Milhão” no SBT, com estudantes de até 12 anos.

Silvio Santos escalou Patrícia Abravanel para comandar o programa que tem estreia marcada para o dia 11 de março.

Havia a expectativa de o próprio dono do SBT assumir a atração, mas ele acabou passando a bola para a filha. Assim, se nada mudar nos próximos dias, Patrícia passará a ter dois programas na emissora, uma vez que já apresenta o “Máquina da Fama” nas noites de segunda-feira.

O SBT ainda não tem detalhes sobre o início de gravações do “Show do Milhão”, mas a convocação para o programa, por meio de chamadas no ar e também no seu site, está a todo vapor.

 

Flávio Ricco com colaboração de José Carlos Nery

Rede Bandeirantes ainda não reativou a produção do seriado jornalístico A Liga

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Silêncio
A série jornalística “A Liga” ainda não teve sua produção reativada.

Até pelo silêncio em cima, fica a dúvida se haverá ou não uma próxima temporada. Em todo caso, o ano, na Band, está apenas “começando”.

 

Flávio Ricco com colaboração de José Carlos Nery

Rede Globo fará mudanças em seu calendário de abril por conta de dois feriados

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Alteração 
A Globo decidiu mexer no seu calendário de estreias em abril.

Mudanças provocadas pelos feriados da Sexta-Feira da Paixão e do Dia de Tiradentes, e que irão determinar dois finais de semana emendados naquele mês.

Sendo assim
“Malhação – Pro Dia Nascer Feliz”, do Emanuel Jacobina, estava prevista para sair do ar no dia 21, só que agora, com mais duas semanas de exibição, vai entrar pela primeira semana de maio.

Diante disso, a “Malhação – Viva a Diferença”, do Cao Hamburger, teve a sua estreia transferida para o dia 8.

 

Flávio Ricco com colaboração de José Carlos Nery

TV Record e Xuxa já sabem a ordem dos trabalhos para 2017

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Ponto a ponto
Xuxa e Record estão organizadas quanto a ordem de trabalhos deste ano.

Primeiro, no dia 3 de abril – não havendo mudança, ela vai estrear o “Dancing Brasil”, com 13 episódios, ao vivo, dos estúdios da Casablanca, no Rio.

 

Flávio Ricco com colaboração de José Carlos Nery

Repórter Record Investigação voltará ao ar depois de amanhã após o Jornal da Record

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Volta na segunda
Está confirmada a volta do “Repórter Record Investigação”, segunda-feira agora, depois do “Jornal da Record”, com apresentação do Domingos Meirelles.

Será apresentado até a estreia do “Dancing Brasil”, da Xuxa, no mês que vem.

 

Flávio Ricco com colaboração de José Carlos Nery