China targets at cross-country skiing breakthrough in Winter Asiad
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The Chinese women's cross-country skiing team on Sunday won a warmup race ahead of the 2011 Asian Winter Games in northeast China as a Chinese official hinted that China might deny a clean sweep of the cross country events by Asiad host Kazakhstan.
"Kazakhstan will dominate the cross-country skiing, which is their conventionally superior event, in the 7th Asian Winter Games," said Gao Xuedong, a Chinese winter sports official.
Gao stressed that it did not mean that the host would sweep the board, saying Chinese women are too strong to be ignored.
China won both men's and women's cross-country 50km classic races in the Vasaloppet China, held in northeast Chinese Changchun city Sunday.
In the Winter Games that features 24 cross country events, Kazakustan is expected to bag 22 golds, and China, Japan and South Korea will have to fight for the other two.
Chinese cross-country ski team has nailed the start list of the Asian Winter Games, including Xu Wenlong and Li Hongxue, gold medalists of the Vasaloppet China 2011.
"The girls have advantages at long distance events and the boys are good at shorts," Gao said,
"Chinese cross-country skiers are making steady progress these years and some youngsters have shown strong prowess, but Kazakhstan's skiers are still superior," said Li Geliang, a former Chinese cross-country star.
The 7th Asian Winter Games will kick off on January 30 in Almaty, capital city of Kazakhstan. Eight countries are going to take part in the games.
