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BEIJING, Oct. 29 (Xinhuanet) -- Teenager Kang Yun-Mi won the women's 1,500m
race to open a gold-medal sweep for South Korea at the Beijing World Cup Short
Track Speed Skating on Friday.
Her compatriot Ahn Hyun-Soo, men's 1,500m world record holder, took the men's title in the
following race.
Before a sparse crowd at the Beijing Capital Stadium, the worldjunior
champion edged her teammate Jin Sun-Yu to win the final in two minutes 20.455
seconds.
Jin took the silver medal in two minutes 20.945 seconds, followed by
Chinese Wang Meng in 2:21.127.
The women's final saw a two-way battle with three finalists from China and
the other three from South Korea.
Chinese double Olympic champion Yang Yang, who made her comeback in August
after two-year leave, failed to clock the time in the final after being
disqualified for impeding.
South Korean Choi Eun-Kyung was also disqualified after interfering with
Yang Yang when Yang tried to squeeze past her.
"I think I did well and was faster than I was in Harbin, but you know, it's
a game you have to compete with your opponents," said Wang Meng, who took the
title in Harbin a week ago.
"The South Koreans have a better strategy. The three of them cooperate
well, which is the key factor for their victory," the 19-year-old said.
Although admitting that the South Koreans dominate the world short track
arena, Wang is confident of China's prospect in 2006 Winter Olympics.
"The South Koreans are always there, but we are catching up andhopefully we
could still manage a gold medal in 2006," she said.
Yang Yang won China's first-ever winter Olympic gold medal in Salt Lake in
2002.
Ahn led virtually throughout the men's final to win in 2:20.330,beating
Olympic champion Apolo Anton Ohno in 2:20.627.
Chinese veteran Li Jiajun, 29, was third in 2:20.864.
"I was satisfied with my performance and I got a medal anyway,"Ohno said.
"Short track is a crazy sport. Even if you skate well, you might not be the
champion," he said. Enditem | 
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