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| Gold medal winner Ahn Hyun-soo (C) from Korea
stands on the podium with compatriot and silver medal winner
Lee Ho-suk and bronze medallist Li JiaJun from China (R) after the
men's 1500 metres short track speed skating final at the Torino 2006
Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy February 12,
2006。 |
Chinese speed skater Li Jiajun has delighted the Chinese crowd with a
surprise result, winning a bronze medal in the men's 1500-meter race,
China's first medal in Turin Games.
The 31-year-old veteran ,
in his fourth and last Olympics, didn't expect he would enter the final
and go on to win a medal through his hard work.
"I am short of strength
after racing so hard in the first two heats," Li said. But he refused
there would be physical problems in the 500-meter and 1,000-meter races
scheduled for this Saturday and next Wednesday. "I will put forth my best
effort."
Li jiajun, one of the best short track
speed skaters in China, has career-wide accolades
including: four-time Olympic medalist, 16-time world championship
medalist, and nine-time world champion. Li was the first Chinese male
athletes to win the overall short track world title in 1999, and repeated
the feat in 2001.
In women's races on Day II, China's Wang Meng and Fu Tianyu have
entered Wednesday's 500-meter short track race final and the Chinese
women's team has qualified for the 3000-meter relay final.
The United States, Germany, and Norway are the top three in the metals
tally. China is now positioned in 14th place after Li Jiajun won the
bronze.
On the third day, China hopes to win medals in three competitions:
pairs' figure skating, men's 500-meter speed skating, and women's
15-kilometer biathlon. Pair's free skating will be a real test for three
sets of Chinese skaters as the leading Russian duo, Tatiana Totmianina and
Maxim Marinin, have a nearly 4-point advantage over Chinese favorites
Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao after the short program. 22-year old Yu Fengtong
is seeking his first gold medal in 500-meter speed skating.
(Agencies)
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