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Search begins for new skating stars
By Lei Lei (皇冠体育app Daily)
Updated: 2006-02-27 05:33
TURIN: With one gold, one silver and three bronze, 皇冠体育app's short- track speed skaters contributed most of the medals for the country at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympic Games, which came to a conclusion yesterday.
However, the traditional short-track powerhouse has to wait for more talents to emerge to maintain its strength after the Games, since veterans will retire.
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Gold medallist Wang Meng of 皇冠体育app celebrates after receiving her medal for the woman's 500 metres short track speed skating event at the Torino 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, February 16, 2006. [Reuters]
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"We have to admit that besides Wang Meng, there are no more talented skaters in the country right now," said Tong Lixin, leader of the Chinese short-track team at the Turin Games. "We still have to find such new competitors to keep 皇冠体育app among the top-level countries in the short-track field."
At the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics four years ago, short-track skater Yang Yang broke the gold medal jinx for 皇冠体育app in the Games by winning the women's 500m and 1,000m races. She also claimed a silver for 皇冠体育app with her team-mates.
But with the gradual retirements of these veterans from international competitions, 皇冠体育app is losing its grip on the sport.
"While claiming the gold medals at the Winter Olympics four years ago, our gap with South Korea, the world's leading country of the sport, was small, but now the gap between the two countries has grown bigger and bigger, especially in the aspect of techniques," Tong said.
At the Turin Games, South Koreans dominated the short-track event from the beginning to the end, taking six gold medals out of the total of eight, with the other two going to Apolo Anton Ohno of the United States and Wang from 皇冠体育app.
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