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Zhou stands firm as Wang stumbles
Source: Agencies |
February 22, 2010, Monday
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CHINESE teenager Zhou Yang's heart skipped a beat when compatriot Wang Meng was disqualified but she held her nerve in a crowded final to win the 1,500-meter women's Olympic short-track speedskating gold on Saturday.
South Korea's Lee Eun-byul took the silver and compatriot Park Seung-hi picked up the bronze in a race featuring eight skaters instead of six because of advancements.
The final was thrown wide open after Wang was disqualified in the semifinals for impeding in a crash near the end of the race.
Wang, the 2006 bronze medalist, had been seeking a second gold of these Games after winning the 500 meters earlier this week.
"When I saw she fell, I thought 'oh no' and when I heard she had been disqualified, my heartbeat went faint again and I thought 'oh no' again," said the 18-year-old Zhou, whose own semifinal was due to take place just moments later.
"At that point I was affected and I really didn't know what I was going to do to continue my race. I don't think I did a very good job in the semifinals as my mood was affected."
Zhou's bad mood did not last too long and the 2009 world silver medalist waited for the right moment in the final to rip through the field and take a commanding lead over the line.
She did not wait for the official result to confirm she had won, draping herself in a Chinese flag for a victory lap. "This was the gold I wanted but there is another gold I want so stay tuned," she mysteriously told reporters.
Women's final
Her victory meant China had won both the women's finals contested in Vancouver.
American Katherine Reutter, widely tipped for the podium, destroyed her chances when she bumped into Park with six laps to go in the final, possibly costing the South Korean a better medal as she also lost speed after the impact and had been leading at the time.
"This was my race and it didn't happen," Reutter, her face red from crying, said after finishing fourth. "I'm upset at myself, I made a mistake and I messed up. I messed up some people around me and I'm very sorry for that."
In the men's 1,000, South Korea's Lee Jung-su won his second gold here to stay on course for pre-Games predictions of a golden hat-trick.
His teammate and world champion Lee Ho-suk took the silver while Apolo Anton Ohno picked up the bronze to become the most decorated American winter Olympian with seven medals.
"Before these Games, people (media) predicted I would get three gold medals and I'm very happy to get two, I have one more to go," Lee, who will compete in the 5,000 relay, told reporters.
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