Skate expectations for China's speedsters
Star-studded short-track squad keen to put on a show for the home fans as ISU World Cup series hits Beijing
With refreshed veterans and upstart youngsters all raring to go, China's short-track speed skating team has vowed to maintain a scintillating pace on home ice as the World Cup series hits town.
After taking a monthlong break after the first two events in Canada, the International Skating Union's World Cup season resumes this week with a highly anticipated Beijing leg at the Capital Indoor Stadium, where the host squad hopes to build on its Olympic success at the 2022 Games venue.
The appearances of two-time Olympic champion Ren Ziwei and women's veteran Fan Kexin at a training session on Monday have fueled expectations for Team China to put on a more balanced performance on home ice, after it claimed four gold medals, including three from relay events, from the series' opening two legs in Montreal in October.
The return of Ren and Fan, key members of China's gold-winning team in the 2,000m mixed relay at Beijing 2022, bolsters the depth of a roster that already boasts plenty of established stars, spearheaded by Hungarian-born brothers Sandor Liu Shaolin and Liu Shaoang, as well as Lin Xiaojun, who formerly represented South Korea.
