Beijing, China — China wrapped up the Beijing leg of the 2024-25 International Skating Union (ISU) Short Track Speed Skating World Tour with a stellar performance on Sunday, clinching gold medals in both the mixed team relay and the men’s 5,000-meter relay.
The day kicked off with an electrifying mixed relay final. The Chinese team, featuring Fan Kexin, Gong Li, Liu Shaoang, and Sun Long, blazed through the race, finishing with a time of 2 minutes and 39.115 seconds. They edged out strong competitors from South Korea, the United States, and Poland to claim victory in final A. In final B, the Netherlands took the top spot, followed by Canada and Italy.
"It was an incredibly intense race, especially in the final moments of the mixed relay," said Gong Li. "Everyone gave it their all, and I’m thrilled we secured first place."
In the men’s 5,000-meter relay, the atmosphere at the Capital Indoor Stadium was electric. The Chinese quartet of Sun Long, Li Wenlong, Liu Shaolin, and Liu Shaoang delivered a thrilling performance. After rivals Canada and the Netherlands stumbled, China battled neck and neck with South Korea before making a decisive move to secure the gold in the final laps.
"We made a remarkable comeback and secured three gold medals here in Beijing," said Zhang Jing, China’s head coach. "The home support from our fans has been exceptional, boosting our team’s morale. The athletes gave everything they had, and their fighting spirit really shone through."
Zhang praised Sun Long, who emerged as a standout athlete with three gold medals during the Beijing leg. "He showed incredible determination, especially after returning from Canada. His relentless drive energized the entire team."
Elsewhere in the competition, American skaters Kristen Santos-Griswold and Corinne Stoddard took the top two spots in the women’s 1,500-meter final A, with South Korea’s Kim Gil-li finishing third. China’s Gong Li won final B with a time of 2:45.032. Reflecting on her performance, Gong acknowledged, "After competing in both yesterday’s and today’s events, I felt a bit fatigued, which affected my performance in the 1,500m semifinal. I need to work on building my stamina in future training."
In the men’s 1,000-meter event, Felix Roussel of Canada claimed gold with a time of 1:25.352. Michal Niewinski of Poland and Britain’s Niall Treacy took silver and bronze, respectively.
The women’s 500-meter race saw Dutch world record holder Xandra Velzeboer outpace a trio of Canadian skaters to finish first in 42.078 seconds. Canada’s Florence Brunelle and Rikki Doak rounded out the podium.
Looking ahead, coach Zhang Jing mentioned that Wang Ye, who suffered an injury during the women’s 3,000-meter relay on Saturday, will be assessed at the hospital. Wang is expected to miss the Seoul leg of the World Tour from December 13 to 15.
Reference(s):
China win two golds on last day of ISU short track tour in Beijing
cgtn.com
