beijing 2022 winter olympics

U.S. women rout Switzerland 8-0 in ice hockey; China edges Japan 2-1

18 Comments
By JOHN WAWROW

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Putting aside the unethical approach of the Chinese stacking both their women's & men's teams with Canadian & US imports (players who don't have an ounce of Chinese ancestry), specifically for these Olympic games.

It is fantastic to see the continued growth and development of women's ice hockey in Japan.

The Japanese have been getting progressively better with every tournament and you can see the results. First ever Olympic quarter final appearance for the Japanese women and this is only the beginning.

With Japan's U18s Women's team winning the gold medal at the 2020 Youth Winter Olympics. There is a lot of young and promising talent coming through the system.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

JT, I think you made a typo, it is not spelled Le Mi, but really Hannah MIller! I'm sorry but that is a bit of a joke having 13 Canadian and American players playing for China. Nonetheless, Japan fought hard and almost won. The lone regulation time goal was a big mistake by the keeper.

I agree with kariharuka, it is great to see how the women's game has progressed and how they play so hard, but without penalties or any dirty play!

0 ( +4 / -4 )

I find it difficult that the Olympic Committee would not address the fact that many of China's players are not Chinese or were even born in that country, hence the one that scored the game winning goal. A foreign coaching staff is one thing, but the players should be required to be from the country in which they play for. With that approach, any country could buy the very best players in the world to play for them in the Olympics. All I would say to China's "athletes for hire" is that I hope you enjoy it there because your home country does not want you back. Wear your Chinese names from now on.

I am in awe at the skill and speed of the Japanese women in ice hockey! I enjoy watching their play more than the NHL. Stay strong ladies!

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

They can do away with the tradition that host countries are automatically granted a berth in ice hockey. If they had to field all Chinese nationals, the score could easily be 15-0 women's and 30-0 in men's, a waste of everybody's time.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

I find it difficult that the Olympic Committee would not address the fact that many of China's players are not Chinese or were even born in that country

The rules are you can play for your country of citizenship and after 3 years of non-competition after switching citizenship. We can't tell people they can't change their citizenship.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

I find it difficult that the Olympic Committee would not address the fact that many of China's players are not Chinese or were even born in that country

hmmm… were you complaining when this happened? https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/18/sports/olympics/at-least-44-table-tennis-players-in-rio-are-chinese-born-six-play-for-china.html

or that https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/g00740/amp/

4 ( +5 / -1 )

"https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/g00740/amp/"

"Of the 41 participants in the Miyazaki training intensive, 20 were born abroad. Some were raised in Japan, or based there from an early age. Some have Japanese citizenship, others do not. But regardless of nationality, all are welcomed equally as teammates. The team embodies diversity."

HUGE difference.

Most new Chinese Hockey players took up their new nationality "yesterday!.

Half of China doesn't look too impressed either:

"https://nationalpost.com/sports/olympics/foreign-firepower-china-is-not-entirely-loving-its-olympic-hockey-team"

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Peeping…,

I failed to find where it in article it said “half” of China not impressed. Of course, not the entire Chinese population is pleased. People are allowed to have their own opinions. I don’t think the “entire” Japanese population is happy with their rugby team either.

What I found in your article is that:

After the Chinese women beat Denmark 3-1 on Friday, the response on Weibo was overwhelmingly positive.

“The future of Chinese sports is openness and recognizing dual nationality,” wrote Weibo user theworldismyplayground.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

"I failed to find where it in article it said “half” of China not impressed."

Since "we" are going to be pedantic:

"The large number of foreign-born players in China’s Olympic ice hockey teams has split opinion in the country, "

"What I found in your article is that:

After the Chinese women beat Denmark 3-1 on Friday, the response on Weibo was overwhelmingly positive.

“The future of Chinese sports is openness and recognizing dual nationality,” wrote Weibo user theworldismyplayground."

I found this too:

“This year we naturalized so many players, but how come so many of them don’t have Chinese blood?” Weibo user EugeneGriffith wrote on Saturday."

"The English-language on-ice banter among players and the foreign-looking appearance of many came under greater scrutiny after China’s women lost their opener 3-1 to the Czech Republic on Thursday"

“If you didn’t tell me, I wouldn’t know this was China’s men’s ice hockey team,” user kaixinwanmao wrote on Saturday, attaching a photo of the men’s squad."

"China does not allow dual citizenship, but for sports in which it has historically lagged, including soccer, it has sometimes been pragmatic."

As you can see, it's not Japan only.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

“has split opinion in the country”

does “split” mean “half”?

“As you can see, it's not Japan only.”

Totally agree. Having naturalized player is totally normal for any country. And some people in that nation is gonna be happy while others are gonna be complaining. It happens in Japan, the states, and just now started in China.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Didn't watch the match, but Japanese media and netizens are complaining that China let their fans cheer loudly, while telling other countries to shut it up. Sounds like a bit of an excuse, though.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Totally agree. Having naturalized player is totally normal for any country. And some people in that nation is gonna be happy while others are gonna be complaining. It happens in Japan, the states, and just now started in China.

China has 4-5 naturalized players on their soccer team, which is a bit unnatural when you consider how popular the sport is. It hasn't made them any better, either. I could argue they were stronger 10 years ago.

With hockey they probably just slapped a team together mainly for the Olympics, so no surprise they had to use foreign talents.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Sooo, no one has seen the "Japanese" rugby team huh?

Was a good game though, looking forward to the next round.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

I guess I lack the knowledge of the rules governing players. I agree that anyone should be able to change their citizenship if desired. I just don't understand why anyone would decide on communist China...

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Sooo, no one has seen the "Japanese" rugby team huh?

True, but a lot of rugby teams have foreign-born players. The Scotland team that Japan faced at the World Cup had 15, for instance. It just so happens that most come from countries where rugby is developed (not asia) so they stick out more among ethnical Japanese.

I don't know if Rugby players have an easier time getting citizenship, but back in 2008 on the soccer side Juninho who was the top J-league forward at the time got denied citizenship due to lack of Japanese language skills. He could've really helped Japan NT who have always lacked a quality striker. No doubt current China NT would've added this guy in a heartbeat.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Putting aside the unethical approach of the Chinese stacking both their women's & men's teams with Canadian & US imports (players who don't have an ounce of Chinese ancestry), specifically for these Olympic games.

So I guess you don't know about the history of Japan doing the same thing in sports, either eh. They've done it in university marathons, corporate rugby teams, baseball teams, and other sports. I'm not writing this to defend China; far from it. I'm just saying that China is not the only one doing this.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

All I would say to China's "athletes for hire" is that I hope you enjoy it there because your home country does not want you back.

I have no problem with them coming back. I couldn't give a flying flap. They joined their Olympic hockey team, not their armed forces. When they get back, they can spend some of that money China gave them. Good for the US and Canada economy.

BTW, do you have a problem with someone from Chicago playing for the NY Rangers? Or, from Detroit playing for the Bruins? What about all those Russians, Swedes, Finns, etc playing on US and Canadian NHL Teams?

It's just sports. Relax and enjoy.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Canada and US women kicking ass and taking names

That's because there's great support for women hockey players in their college systems. Title IX (of US federal civil rights law) requires any college that receives federal funding (pretty much all US colleges) must provide equal support for men's and women's sports. So that's a lot of women hockey players in colleges - far more than any professional academy system can provide

China does not allow dual citizenship, but for sports in which it has historically lagged, including soccer, it has sometimes been pragmatic.

Kunlun Red Star, the China-owned team that plays in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League from which China’s men’s roster is drawn, described them as “Heritage and Import” players when it tweeted the Chinese versions of their names, including Jieruimi Shimisi, born in Michigan as Jeremy Smith.

“I did not renounce my citizenship, they never asked me to. They have a whole team that has worked with that,” he told reporters after practice on Wednesday.

China’s squads appear to be uncomfortable with the question, with most of the women’s players avoiding the post-match mixed-zone and all of the men’s practice sessions scheduled through Friday closed to media, the only team with such a prohibition.

Essentially, China is breaking its own laws - either have a law to allow dual citizenship, or naturalize the players

Obviously, they have something to hide - when the players aren't even allowed to answer a simple question

BTW, this should be a cautionary tale for any athlete who switches their allegiance to China - they can turn on you

"‘Shame on Zhu Yi’: Chinese fans turn on US-born figure skater after fall at Winter Olympics before Weibo hashtag is seemingly censored - Hashtag criticising Californian trends on Weibo, with fans calling out her family ties and lack of Chinese-speaking skills"

https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166035/shame-zhu-yi-chinese-fans-turn-us-born-figure-skater-after-fall-winter

0 ( +1 / -1 )

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