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TURIN, Feb. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- When it comes to short track speedskating, South
Korea is the only superpower in the world.
The Asian country skated to six gold, three silver and one bronze medals,
perching atop the medal standings. It is followed by China with a 1-1-3 record
and the United States 1-0-2.
"We use the strength to skate, which is a traditional way, while South
Korea's performance relies on their skating skill. That's why they did not show
fatigue in the long-distance competition," said Tong Lixin, the Chinese team
leader.
"It showed a new trend in short track speed skating."
South Korea opened the short track competitions with a gold anda silver in
the men's 1,500m, won by Ahn Hyun-soo and his teammateLee Ho-suk. Li Jiajun of
China took a bronze.
Then in the men's 1,000m, South Korea finished a 1-2 again as Ahn held off
a strong challenge from teammate Lee Ho-suk and American Apolo Anton Ohno to win
his second gold medal with a Games record.
"When Ahn surpassed me from outside, I felt like there was a jet plane
passing by," Ohno, the bonze winner in the men's 1,000m,said after the
competition.
"At the speed we were going, I was looking for the slightest mistake, the
slightest space, but there was nothing," he added.
Ohno won the men's 500 meters on Saturday, winning his first title of the
Games and spoiling Ahn Hyun-soo's bid to clean sweep the men's golds.
China won the sole gold from Wang Meng in the women's 500m, whobeat
Bulgarian veteran Evgenia Radanova and Canadian Anouk Leblanc-Boucher.
In the women's 1,500m, 17-year-old Jin Sun-yu, who has dominated over
1,500m this season, overtook the group a few turns from the end and pulled away
to cross the finish first. Her teammate Choi Eun-Kyung took the silver.
South Korean Byun Chun-Sa crossed third but was disqualified, giving the
bronze to Wang Meng.
Jin won her second gold on the last day of short track competitions, using
a burst of speed in the final straightaway to take the women's 1,000m title.
The relay competition is one of the most exciting events in short track,
and South Koreans did not let the two golds slip away.
In the women's 3,000m relay, South Korea clinched its fourth gold while its
long-time rival China was disqualified for impeding.
"We won the gold medal because we trained hard for years long. We have had
ups and downs but finally we are on the top," Choi Eun-Kyung of South Korea said
at the press conference.
South Korea made it four golds in a row in the women's short track relay
since the 1994 Games, and China has won the silver twice in the 1998 and 2002
Games.
Canada overtook China in the last lap for the silver and host Italy
received the bronze, its only medal on short track.
"We did not felt regretful in the women's relay, because South Koreans are
really great. We have already shown our best," Tong said.
South Korea kept its momentum by battling through the most exciting men's
5,000 meters relay final for its sixth gold on Saturday. Enditem
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