China's gold hope lies in 500m speed skating at Vancouver Winter Olympics
8/12/2008 16:32
China pins its gold medal anticipation at the 2010 Vancouver Winter
Olympic Games on 500m speed skating as the event boasts China's top
skaters.
"China's speed skating team is capable of winning gold medals in the
2010 Winter Olympics. Yu Fengtong and Wang Beixing are China's hopefuls to
snatch gold medals for China," said Wang Manli, a retired Chinese speed skater,
on the sideline of 2008/2009 ISU World Cup speed skating in Changchun ,
Northeast China yesterday.
"I feel that I am on the way of maturing for
competition," said Yu, 24, who pocketed up a gold and a silver in men's
500-meter speed skating in the 2008/2009 ISU World Cups.
Xing Shuo, deputy
director of China's speed skating administration center, confirmed Yu's progress
and potential for podium finish in the Vancouver Winter Games, but Xing gave
more favor to Wang Beixing for gold ambition.
"It's possible for Yu to make a
breakthrough for China in men's 500m for he has made strides over years both
physically and mentally, but to me Wang has a better chance for gold medal in
women's 500m in Vancouver," said Xing in talking about China's 2010
perspective.
"Only German skater Jenny Wolf and South Korean athlete Lee
Sang-Hwa are posed to challenge Wang in women's 500 meters, but for Yu about 10
peers are waiting there," added Xing.
Wolf sets pace in women's 500-meter
rankings and Lee Sang-Hwa is on par with Wolf and 23-year-old Wang, who broke
the world record in 37.24 seconds last March.
Wang stayed away from the
Changchun event of ISU World Cup and was concentrating on training towards
short-course speed skating World Championship and Chinese National Games slated
for next January.
Wolf regarded Wang as "a great competitor" and said it was
a pleasure to race against her.
After the National Games next year, Wang is
heading to Canada for pre-Winter Games training, while Yu is set to be reserved
in China under a coach from the Netherlands.
Xinhua
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