Chinese speed skaters vow to win more gold medals to challenge South Korea's authority on the short track in the 24th Winter Universiade.
The Harbin Winter Universiade, to be held in China's northeastern Heilongjiang province, attracted 12 Chinese speed skating potentials to compete in 10 events, including the key members in the national team Liu Qiuhong, Zhou Yang and Meng Xiaoxue.
"We will try to sweep all the five gold medals on offer in the women's events. Chinese male skaters are not very strong, but we have the chance to win golds in the 5,000m relay event and 500m individual event," said the team leader Wang Chunlu on Monday after the training course.
Chinese short track skaters broke South Korean's monopoly in the Turin Winter Universiade in 2007 as they took two gold medals and South Korea collected other eight golds to show their superpower in this sport.
"We knew South Korea has sent several key skaters to Harbin, so we have prepared to challenge them at the Universiade," Wang added.
"It is hard to challenge South Korea in men's events, and Canada is also a strong team."
Not only at the Universiade, South Korea astonished the whole world in the Winter Olympic Games in Turin in 2006 when they skated to six gold, three silver and one bronze medals, perching atop the medal standings. It is followed by China with a 1-1-3 record and the United States 1-0-2.
"All the skaters will cherish every competition before the Vancouver Winter Olympics and I think all the matches between the Chinese and South Korean skaters will be very exciting here," she said.
The short track speed skating competitions, slated for Feb. 19-23, attracts 58 male skaters and 45 female skaters from 18 countries and regions.
(Xinhua News Agency February 17, 2009)
