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E-mail Xinhua, December 9, 2024
China rounded off the 2024/25 ISU Short Track Speed Skating World Tour Beijing leg with a stellar performance, securing golds in both the mixed team relay and the men's 5,000 meters relay on Sunday.
The final day of the World Tour's Beijing leg began with an electrifying mixed relay final. China, comprising Fan Kexin, Gong Li, Liu Shaoang and Sun Long, clocked two minutes and 39.115 seconds to outpace South Korea, the United States and Poland, claiming victory in final A. The Netherlands topped final B, followed by Canada and Italy.
"It was an incredibly intense race, especially in the final moments of the mixed relay," said Gong, who played a key role in China's win. "Everyone gave it their all, and I'm thrilled we secured first place."
In the women's 1,500m event, American skaters Kristen Santos-Griswold and Corinne Stoddard achieved a 1-2 finish in final A, with South Korea's Kim Gil-li taking third place. Gong, competing in final B, claimed victory with a time of 2:45.032.
Reflecting on her performance, Gong admitted she was not at her peak. "After competing in both yesterday's and today's events, I felt a bit fatigued, which affected my performance in the 1,500m semifinal. Unfortunately, I didn't make it to final A, which is a regret. I need to work on building my stamina in future training," she said.
Gong also shared insights on the impact of the new competition format. "At first, the short intervals between races were difficult to adapt to, especially in the first two stages. However, we made adjustments during training, like shortening rest periods, which helped me gradually adapt."
Canada's Felix Roussel won the men's 1,000m with a time of 1:25.352, followed by Michal Niewinski of Poland and Niall Treacy of Britain. South Korea's Park Ji-won received a penalty in the final A race, and China's Liu Shaoang finished third in final B.
In the women's 500m, Dutch world record holder Xandra Velzeboer outpaced three Canadian skaters, crossing the finish line first in 42.078 seconds. Canada's Florence Brunelle and Rikki Doak secured the second and third spots.
The atmosphere in Capital Indoor Stadium reached its peak in the men's 5,000m relay. China didn't let the home fans down, as Sun Long, Li Wenlong, Liu Shaolin and Liu Shaoang snatched the gold.
China held tight with South Korea following Canada and the Netherlands' falls, before snatching a last-gasp victory.
"We made a remarkable comeback and secured three gold medals here in Beijing. The home support from our fans has been exceptional, boosting our team's morale," said China head coach Zhang Jing. "The athletes gave everything they had, and their fighting spirit really shone through."
Coach Zhang particularly praised Sun Long, who clinched three golds during the Beijing leg. "He showed incredible determination, especially after returning from Canada, and his relentless drive energized the entire team."
Regarding Wang Ye's injury from a collision in Saturday's women's 3,000m relay, Zhang confirmed she would visit the hospital after the event to assess the situation. Wang will miss the Seoul leg of the World Tour from December 13 to 15.
