Former Hungary head coach to lead China's short track training camp

BEIJING -- China's 2022 short track speed skating national training camp, as part of the preparation for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, opened here on Monday.

Zhang Jing, former head coach of Hungary's short track team, has been appointed general consultant of the training camp.

Zhang represented China at the 1994 Winter Olympics. After retirement, she coached the Hungarian men's short track speed skating team in 2012 and led them to win the country's historic first Olympic short track gold in the men's 5,000m relay at PyeongChang 2018.

During Beijing 2022, Hungary won one gold and two bronze medals in short track under Zhang's tutelage.

After taking two gold, one silver and one bronze medal from 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, China has not yet decided the head coach for the Milano-Cortina 2026 cycle. According to the team manager, the coaching team composition is still under discussion, and Zhang will be in charge of the general training plan and assessment criteria of this camp.

Returning from a four-month vacation after Beijing 2022, two-time Olympic champion Ren Ziwei said: "It's time to get ready to return to regular training and I will share my Olympic experience with the young skaters."

Aiming to select members for the national team in the new Winter Olympic cycle and train talented young skaters, this camp, lasting for one month, consists of two phases. The first focuses on basic fitness training, and those who meet the required standard will receive skating training in the second phase, while those who don't will return to their respective provincial teams.