China

China set out to regain Asian supremacy in winter sports

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-01-26 16:45

CHANGCHUN, Northeast China - With two days away, hosts China are setting out for a fierce and wide ice and snow battlefield against three strong battalions to regain their supremacy in winter sports in the sixth Asian Winter Games.

Among the 45 members of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the hosts topped the medal tally only twice in Harbin, China in 1996 and in Kangwon, South Korea in 1999, of the five previous Asian Winter Games, a striking comparison to their unchallengeable upperhands in the summer sports.

Despite the clear-cut home enthusiasm, China are facing an uphill race against the battalions of Japan, South Korea and Kazakhstan in all 47 events of the sixth Winter Asiad, which will feature all OCA members for the first time in China's northeast province.

Figure skating, short-track speedskating, freestyle aerials and cross country skiing are the best bets for China with the presence of world champions Shen Xue/Zhang Hongbo and Pang Qing/Tong Jian in figure skating pairs, short-track Olympic champion Wang Meng, aerials titlist Han Xiaopeng, runner-up Li Nina and Vasaloppet China winner Wang Chunli.

In their delegation, the biggest of their own and of the Games, China also have the shots for golds in both the men's and women's 100m speedskating, biathlon and women's ice hockey.

The first obstacle for China on the way to the top of the tally, remains to be Japan as they have been atop the medal tally thrice in the first two and the fifth Games, all on their home soil. And they again field in 113 athletes for all events except freestyle aerials in Changchun.

Against the fourth place with six golds in the fourth Games, Japan collected 24 in a rush to beat South Korea (10) and China (9) to the distant second and third places in the last Winter Asiad.

Women's singles figure skating will be a showcase for Japanese Suguri Fumie, the runner-up of the 2006 World Championships and fourth-placer of the Turin Winter Olympics, in the absence of fellow Olympic champion Shizuka Arakawa.

In speedskating, Japan hold three of the seven women's Asian records, and their fortress of long-distance events through Maki Tabata and Hiroki Hirako continue to be untouchable for the Chinese skaters.

Ice hockey is another stronghold for Japan, who are tipped to vie for the honor against Kazakhstan, the only two teams capable of reaching the World Championship Group A competitions from Asia

The Japanese cross country skiers also pose strong challenge for Chinese Wang Chunli and Li Geliang, runner-up of Vasaloppet China.

South Korea, who have never been out of the top three in the tally, will be the toughest obstacle to clear at the rink. Their short-track skaters surprised the world by taking six of the eight gold medals in the Turin Winter Olympics, together with three silvers and one bronze.

Both Anh Hyun-Soo and Jin Sun-Yu bagged three Olympic golds apiece in Turin to demonstrate their top-notch skills, leaving others to be bush-beaters sporadically, including Chinese Wang Meng, Fu Tianyu and Li Ye.

Apart from the short track, South Korea also cherish the hope to have a share in the speedskating through veterans Lee Kyou-Hyunk and Choi Jae-Bong, and budding stars Choi Kwun-Won, Kim You-Lim and Mun Joon who made the big impact in the Asian Speedskating Championships in early January.

Kazakhstan are the last but not the least opponents to be taken into account seriously as they chased China neck and neck till the last day in their debut in the third Winter Asiad in 1996 when they finished a close second behind China (15) by one gold only.

To be the next hosts in 2011, Kazakhstan also send in a strong team to compete in the sports of short-track speedskating, speedskating, ice hockey, curling, cross country skiing, slalom and biathlon.

The Cross country skiing events are expected to become a duel between China and Kazakhstan, who "are our strongest opponents", said Swedish Per-Eric Ronnestrand, head coach of the Chinese cross-country skiing team.

Kazakhstan have other bonanza in biathlon, slalom and ice hockey, and they are tipped to reshuffle the top-four placings in the biggest week-long Winter sports gala in Asia.