'Lack of aggression' leaves host floundering

Heading into the final offseason before the Olympics, Team China is expecting the toughest possible Games campaign in Italy, with the Canadian "Ice Maples" almost too strong to overcome on the world stage, particularly the men's squad, led by distance specialist Dandjinou and sprint star Steven Dubois.

Five times they took to the ice at the Beijing worlds with the chance to win gold, and five times they crossed the line first.

After Dandjinou and Dubois getting the Canadian men off to a flying start with golds in 1,500m and 500m, respectively, on Saturday, the pair teamed up for gold in both the men's and the mixed relays on Sunday, while also going head-to-head in the 1,000m, where they eventually finished one-two with Dubois touching first.

By winning all four men's events, including the 5,000m relay, Canada capped off arguably the most dominant worlds campaign by a single nation, with victories also secured in the mixed and women's relays.

Meanwhile, the consistent threat from Dutch skaters, highlighted by Xandra Velzeboer's convincing win in the women's 500m, and the looming challenges from Poland and Olympics host Italy, which took bronze and silver, respectively, in the mixed relay, have made it a daunting task for Team China to continue its golden run at the 2026 Games.

"We have medal potential, but flawless execution in major events requires steadier minds and tactical precision," Zhang said. "Moving forward, we will focus on staying mentally strong and minimizing errors for better results."

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn