China

Short-track skaters to vie against the best

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-01-26 08:55

Against the toughest rivals of South Korea, Chinese short-track skaters will try the best to grasp medals at the coming Asian Winter Games, said Olympic champion Wang Meng in Changchun on Thursday.

"We have the home court advantage, and we will spare no efforts in getting the best from the Games," said Wang Meng, who won the women's 500m short-track speedskating gold medal at the Turin Winter Olympics in 2006.

However, Wang explained to the reporters that "South Korea are the best in short-track speedskating, and there's no case for the so-called Sino-Korean rivalry in the sport."

In Turin, South Korea had a record-breaking feat with six golds, three silvers and one bronze from the short-track, and only Chinese Wang Meng and American Apolo Anton Ohno broke their monopoly by taking away their 500m titles respectively.

The Chinese short-track speedskating team arrived here Thursday for the Winter Games slated for Jan. 28-Feb. 4, with the sport competition to be kicked off on Jan. 29 and the 500m, the stronghold of Wang Wang, on Jan. 30.

The short-track events are among the best medal hopefuls for the hosts, who ranked third in the medal tally of the fifth Winter Asiad in 2003, next to Japan and South Korea.

"I'm not in the top form, but I will not take it as an excuse, because we have the support of the home audience," said Wang Meng.