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'Peken' keeps nation's cross-country hopes on course
By Chen Xiangfeng (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-01-04 06:44
Coach of the Chinese cross-country ski team, Per-Erik "Peken" Ronnestrand
believes the nation's skiers will improve gradually and get into the top 10 for
the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.
"I think they will be between 20 to 30 for the Turin Winter Olympics. But in
2010, some of them could be in the top 10," said the Swede after the 50km
Vasaloppet cross-country race in Jingyuetan at Changchun on Sunday.
The former head coach of the Swedish national cross country team took the
helm of China's national team just four months ago, but was pleased to see a
remarkable improvement in the week-long Vasaloppet China.
The team had just returned from a very successful start of the FIS World Cup
season, with several strong results, which included Li Geliang's victory over
the 2005 winner of the Swedish Vasaloppet (90 km) - Oskar Svard - in a 42 km
race in Sweden on December 18.
Li failed to repeat the feat on home soil, having to settle for third place
after finishing behind the winner Stanislav Rezak of Czech Republic and
second-placed Svard.
But the coach is full of praise of Li.
"He did a good job. He was close to beating two of the world's best skiers in
long distance.
"Li is getting better and better and he will be among the world's best in the
future."
A confident Li now looks to an even more impressive performance in Turin and
next year's Vasaloppet.
"I will try to challenge the best skiers from the world in Turin. And in the
next Vasaloppet, I hope I can win."
In women's 50km, national champion Li Hongxue was crowned with teammates Wang
Chunli and Jiang Chunli coming in second and third.
Ronnestrand is confident that with three to four years of practice, both men
and women skiers will be able to compete with the best skiers in the world.
"They train as much as their European competitors.
Together with the Chinese coaches, we'll make some adjustments in technique and
equipment, and then I'm confident we'll soon be fighting with the best,"
Ronnestrand said.
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