"The Olympic Games is a valuable experience for me," she said. "On returning to China, I will train harder than before with my team-mates and try to regain our country's glory on the short track."

    The freestyle aerials team, which showed strong overall strength at the Turin Games, also comprises promising young talents.

    Led by 23-year-old silver medallist Li, the women's team has Guo Xinxin, 22, who finished sixth, Wang Jiao, 22, who finished 11th and the two substitutes, Cheng Shuang and Zhang Xin.

    The men's gold medallist Han is also just 22 years old..

    In the speed skating team, 23-year-old Ren Hui performed her best to take the bronze in the women's 500m event, compensating for big favourite, veteran Wang Manli failing to take the gold after buckling under pressure.

    The Chinese team's most attractive athletes were figure skaters Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao.

    Despite crashing after an attempted throw quadruple salchow went wrong, Zhang Dan recovered quickly against all odds to skate beautifully and claim a silver medal with her partner. Their courage moved the whole world and even overshadowed the gold medallists, Russia's Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin.

    "The young athletes have show their strong potential at the Games and their steady performances have boosted our hope in the winter sports," Xiao said.

    Veterans' farewell

    The Turin Games also marked an end to the careers of several veterans.

    Recovering from a serious tendon injury with surprising speed, Zhao Hongbo, China's figure skating pair's star skater, went through an elegant routine with his partner Shen Xue, to win them the bronze.

    "It should be my last Olympic Games," said Zhao, 32. "Although I failed to reach the gold, I have tried my best."

    Turin's Palavela ice rink also saw the last Olympic appearances for China's short track speed skaters Yang (A) and Li Jiajun.

    Li, the bronze medallist at the men's 1,500m, decided to say goodbye to his 20 years' skating career after competing in his fourth Olympic Games, while Yang (A), who settled for a bronze at the women's 1,000m race, also declared her retirement.

    "This should be my last Olympic competition and I'm happy that our team has welcomed the new leader Wang," said Yang (A) after the 1,000m race. "I love short track skating, so all I did for it is worthwhile."

    Yang (A) has also decided to donate her prize money from the bronze medal to the "Right to Play" foundation. "Since I'm going to retire, I want to leave something for sports," she said.

    Veteran skater Wang Manli has not decided about her plans. A silver medal in the women's 500m speed skating race left the 33-year-old in tears as she was expected to take the gold on the basis of her consistently good performance in the recent two seasons.

    "I want a good rest now," Wang said after returning from Turin. "I will decide whether to retire later."

    (Source: China Daily)

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