Around the Web: Dalian's new sports complex, skateboarding in China and more badminton wins
Tuesday, 7th July 2009 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
Move over (empty) Bird's Nest. British architectural firm RMJM won a competition to design a 20,000-square-meter sports complex in Dalian, capital of China's Liaoning province, and renderings of the design look distinctive to say the least. The building, which resembles a giant piece of muscle tissue, is to feature a floor that's suspended off the ground and north-facing skylights. It will house a 50-meter pool, as well as areas for martial arts, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, badminton, fencing and gymnastics. It's not RMJM's first China project--it also designed buildings for the Beijing Olympics, including the fencing and shooting venues and the international media center. One of the company's designers, John Pauline, contributed to design of the Water Cube. The Dalian project was the first for RMJM's new studio, RMJM Sport, which also was recently awarded the contract to design six venues for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
China's skateboarding scene
A couple of months after the X Games came to Shanghai, this Global Post article by Jordan Calinoff takes a quick look at the growth of skateboarding's popularity in China.
More wins for Chinese badminton team
China continued to do what it does in badminton over the weekend, winning four out of five finals at the Philippine Open. That's good news for sportswear brand Li-Ning, which earlier this year replaced another Chinese company, 361, as the team's outfitter and major sponsor.
Dalian image: RMJM
Tags: badminton, Dalian, RMJM, skateboarding, sports venues, venues, X Games
The ABCs of the X Games
Friday, 1st May 2009 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
The Kia X Games are underway in Shanghai. What do you need to know about them? CST and Shanghaiist contributor Geoff Ng has you covered with this stream-of-consciousness guide to one of the coolest things to do this holiday weekend.Andy McDonald: the only Skateboard Vert champ Shanghai's ever had
BMX: big boys on little bikes.
Chad Kagy: back-to-back and reigning champ chickened out. Who will step up?
Dinara Israliyeva: Kazakhstan's only contestant
Eito Yasutoko and little bro Takeshi: 6 of last 7 In-Line Vert titles…any challengers?
Five sports, eight categories, four days.
Garrett Reynolds: 17 year-old BMX wunderkind, defending champ
Hotline: hit it up at 962388 or 400-666-6699
In-Line: like roller skates. But, uh, not lame.
Jiangwan Stadium: no bigger skate park in the world.
Kawasaki, Ayumi: first female winner in In-Line Vert history?
Lukasz Swirk: Poland's great white sport climbing hope
Motocross: getting Big Air, but just a demonstration sport this year
Nakamura brothers Tomohiko and Takayuki: looking to push the Yasutokos
Online tix? Lvmama.com
Phuket, Thailand: birthplace of the Asian X Games
Qixin, Zhong: a quarter of the Chinese men's climbing crew
RISE UP: the X Games' official theme song
Sport Climbing: who can get it up the quickest?
Tickets: Get 'em for 120RMB; 50RMB for students
USD $130,000 in prizes. Straight cash, homey.
Vert vs. Street? Vert goes on the ramp, street goes on the street.
Wanitsakul, Kiattichai: Asia's only entry in the BMX Freestyle Vert
X. What else needs to be said?
Tags: events, Geoff Ng, Jiangwan Stadium, Shanghai, X Games