Yang Chun-han Returns to Taiwan After 2 Years, Says Competition Helps Asian Games Prep

(Central News Agency reporter Li Jianzhong, Taipei, 5th) "Taiwan's Fastest Man" Yang Chun-han last competed on home soil in 2024. This year, he returns in excellent form to participate in the New Taipei International Athletics Open, which begins tomorrow. Yang said today, "I'm really looking forward to the competition. I believe it will be very helpful for my Asian Games preparations."

The 29-year-old Yang missed the entire 2024 season due to injury. He then spent time training in the US from late last year to early this year, leaving him without a chance to perform in front of Taiwanese fans.

After recovering from his injury, Yang began to adjust his form. In his season opener in the US at the end of March, he ran 10.11 seconds with a wind-aided time. Two weeks later, at the Tom Jones Memorial in the US, he again clocked 10.11 seconds, this time without wind assistance, tying his national record and meeting the qualification standard for the Nagoya Asian Games.

At a press conference today, Yang said, "I'm very excited and looking forward to stepping onto the home track after two years. I grew up competing in this event (the predecessor of the New Taipei International Athletics Open). I understand how important this competition is for Taiwanese athletes."

He mentioned, "I've been training in the US and also competed in a few events in Japan. Right now, I'm adjusting the feeling of connecting training with competition. Being able to compete against world-class athletes is very important for me. It will also increase my experience competing against top athletes at the Asian Games."

He joked, "Coming back to Taiwan, I have to take advantage of the home ground. Every year this competition is rainy and humid, which I think will be uncomfortable for the foreign athletes."

This year, the Chinese Taipei Athletics Association has invited Jerome Blake, a member of Canada's gold medal-winning men's 4x100m relay team at the Paris Olympics, to compete in the men's 100m.

Blake said in an interview, "No matter which city I compete in, being able to race against the best athletes from different countries is always very exciting. I heard that Chun-han just tied his personal best, so I'm really looking forward to the showdown." (Editor: Chen Renhua) 1150605