S. Korean dominate short track
(Xinhua)Updated: 2007-02-01 08:44
CHANGCHUN, Northeast China - South Korean triple Olympic champions Ahn Hyun-Soo and Jin Sun-Yu displayed their dominance in style in the short track speedskating at the sixth Asian Winter Games here on Wednesday.
 Korea's Ahn Hyun-Soo (2nd R) skates to win the Men's 1000 Meter Short Track Speed Skating, followed by Korea's Kim Hyun-Kon (L), China's Li Ye (2nd L) and China's Sui Baoku (R) at the Asian Winter Games in Changchun, China's northeastern Jilin province January 31, 2007. [Reuters] |
The 21-year-old Ahn, the three-time winner in the Turin Olympics, out-raced teammate Kim Hyun-Kon in the men's 1,000m event to grab his first gold medal of the Games in 1:29.085 before adding another in the men's 5,000m relay in 6:44.839.
 Korea's Jin Sun-Yu (C) and Jung Eun-Ju (R), China's Wang Meng pose on the podium after the women's 1000 Meter Short Track Speed Skating at the Asian Winter Games in Changchun, China's northeastern Jilin province January 31, 2007. [Xinhua] |
Kim, 21, finished second in 1:29.163, followed by Sui Baoku of China, the gold medalist of the 1,500m on the 29th, in 1:29.299.
Ahn, the only men skater on short track to win four consecutive World Championships in the overall rankings since 2003, was disqualified after finishing first in the 500m event on Tuesday for a foul in overtaking China's Li Ye from inside lane.
Jin, 18, also a triple Olympic winner and world champion, finished the 1,000 meters in one minute and 33.042 seconds, taking the women's title ahead of the hosts' favorite Wang Meng in 1:33.115. Jin's compatriot Jung Eun-Ju was third in 1:33.143.
However, China stopped South Korea from a clean sweep of the top podium on the day by winning the women's 3,000m relay with an Asian record of 4:13.293. South Korea finished second in 4:13.391.
In the final overall short-track speedskating medal table featuring eight events, South Korea led by four golds, five silvers and two bronzes, followed by China with four golds, three silvers and five bronzes, leaving only one third-place finish to Japan.
"We won just one gold while South Korea took six in the Turin Olympic Games," said Li Yan, head coach of the Chinese team. "We saw hope here. And our next goal is the Olympic Games in Vancouver in 2010."
The sixth Winter Asiad opened on January 28, and will be concluded on Feburary 4.
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