Chinese women skate to gold as Koreans get the click flick
By Wang Xiang |
February 26, 2010, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE first gold medal for Chinese women in the Winter Olympics short-track 3,000-meter skating relay, fulfilling an 18-year dream, came with a dramatic twist in Vancouver yesterday after South Korea was disqualified.
The South Koreans crossed the finish line first, but were disqualified for clicking skates with China with five laps to go. South Korea's Kim Min-jung was in the lead when her left skate blade clicked the right blade of China's Sun Linlin.
From there, South Korea's Park Seung-hi pulled away to a big lead before her teammate Cho Ha-ri finished off what they thought was a record fifth gold medal.
China's team of Sun, Wang Meng, Zhang Hui and Zhou Yang leapt for joy when they were announced as Olympic champions.
China's women skaters have dominated Vancouver, winning all three gold medals in short track events, including individual golds for Wang Meng in the 500m and Zhou Yang in the 1,500m.
But a gold medal in the 3,000m relay was the jewel as China had lost four times to South Korea since 1992, said Yang Yang, a former speed-skating champion and the commentator of the event.
Yang, now a member of the International Olympic Committee, led the Chinese women in the 1998 and 2002 Olympics. When she was asked to present the gold medal for the event of her choice, Yang said she had no hesitation in opting for the 3,000m relay.
She said the whole country should remember the names of the skaters.
Sun paid special tribute to teammate Liu Qiuhong.
Liu missed the Olympics after being felled by a serious injury to her thigh just three weeks before the event.
Sun replaced her - and achieved 24-carat success.
"We thought of Liu Qiuhong at training on every occasion," Sun said.
"She always believed that today would come. She is always in front of the TV set watching us skate. She will cry."
The disqualification call was a bitter pill for the South Korean team.
The letters DQ flashed up on the scoreboard after the Koreans had done several victory laps and suddenly the cheers turned to tears.
South Korean coach Choi Kwang-bok waved his fists in anger, glaring and shouting at referees.
During a South Korean practice session, Choi became upset as the Chinese delegation taped them.
He yelled at the Chinese coaches and hurled bottles at the Chinese cameraman.
China's coach, Li Yan, said it was perfectly legal to tape the practice session.
The South Koreans crossed the finish line first, but were disqualified for clicking skates with China with five laps to go. South Korea's Kim Min-jung was in the lead when her left skate blade clicked the right blade of China's Sun Linlin.
From there, South Korea's Park Seung-hi pulled away to a big lead before her teammate Cho Ha-ri finished off what they thought was a record fifth gold medal.
China's team of Sun, Wang Meng, Zhang Hui and Zhou Yang leapt for joy when they were announced as Olympic champions.
China's women skaters have dominated Vancouver, winning all three gold medals in short track events, including individual golds for Wang Meng in the 500m and Zhou Yang in the 1,500m.
But a gold medal in the 3,000m relay was the jewel as China had lost four times to South Korea since 1992, said Yang Yang, a former speed-skating champion and the commentator of the event.
Yang, now a member of the International Olympic Committee, led the Chinese women in the 1998 and 2002 Olympics. When she was asked to present the gold medal for the event of her choice, Yang said she had no hesitation in opting for the 3,000m relay.
She said the whole country should remember the names of the skaters.
Sun paid special tribute to teammate Liu Qiuhong.
Liu missed the Olympics after being felled by a serious injury to her thigh just three weeks before the event.
Sun replaced her - and achieved 24-carat success.
"We thought of Liu Qiuhong at training on every occasion," Sun said.
"She always believed that today would come. She is always in front of the TV set watching us skate. She will cry."
The disqualification call was a bitter pill for the South Korean team.
The letters DQ flashed up on the scoreboard after the Koreans had done several victory laps and suddenly the cheers turned to tears.
South Korean coach Choi Kwang-bok waved his fists in anger, glaring and shouting at referees.
During a South Korean practice session, Choi became upset as the Chinese delegation taped them.
He yelled at the Chinese coaches and hurled bottles at the Chinese cameraman.
China's coach, Li Yan, said it was perfectly legal to tape the practice session.
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