Sports Briefs

SWIMMING

Swimmer Park Tae-hwan is in Rio and training hard

After landing in Brazil on Sunday, Korean swimmer Park Tae-hwan had his first training session on Monday at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

Park trained in the warm-up pool instead of the regular competition pool in the morning with his Australian coach Duncan Todd.

“It’s not the easiest of circumstances and I am still trying to adjust to the surroundings,” Park was quoted saying by the Yonhap News Agency. “I haven’t seen the main pool yet. My focus for now is on getting acclimated.”

Park is aiming to bring home a medal in his third Olympics. He already has a gold and a silver from the 2008 Beijing Olympics and two silvers from the 2012 London Olympics. Despite high expectations, Park said on Sunday upon his arrival at Santos Dumont Airport in Rio that he hopes not to be pressured about placement and enjoy the Games.

BASEBALL

L.A. Dodgers’ Ryu Hyun-jin is placed on a 60-day DL

Ryu Hyun-jin of the Los Angeles Dodgers was placed in a 60-day disabled list (DL) after feeling some discomfort in his left elbow.

After receiving surgery on his left shoulder in May 2015 to repair a torn labrum, the piece of fibrocartilage affixed to the shoulder socket that keeps the ball of the arm bone in place, Ryu went through rehab.

After rehab, Ryu pitched his first big league game in two years on July 7 against the San Diego Padres. During his return assignment against the Padres, Ryu tossed for 4 2/3 innings and allowed six earned runs.

Ryu then felt pain in his left elbow after the game and was placed on a 15-day DL on July 10. It was expected that he would be returning to the mound soon but now that he is on a 60-day DL, it is questionable when he will be fully ready to emerge from this series of injuries that has plagued his MLB career for the past few seasons. Ryu will be on the team’s DL until September 6.

FOOTBALL

Choi Kang-hee is named manager of the month

The Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors manager Choi Kang-hee was selected as the manager of the month for the month of July.

According to the official announcement by the K-League Classic on Monday, Choi was selected as the manager of the month after leading Jeonbuk 23 straight games without a single loss this season, setting the new record in number of unbeaten games.

Yeom Ki-hun, a midfielder from the Suwon Samsung Bluewings, was selected as the most valuable player for the 23rd round of the K-Leauge Classic by helping the team edge the Jeju United FC with three assists.

By Choi Hyung-jo