Happy New Year beckons for China's women skiers

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By Yu Yilei (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-12-30 08:54

National champion Li Hongxue and Man Dandan made the most of the final weekend of 2008 as China's women skiers dominated the first two stops of the Tour de Ski, a cross-country tournament sanctioned by the International Ski Federation (FIS).

Man won her 1.4km race on Sunday and Li followed suit at the longer 3.6km race yesterday, both of which were held at Xiwu Banner, 600km east of Hohhot, the capital of China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Li led yesterday's race from start to finish, living up to her billing as the de facto top seed to cross the finish line in 10 minutes, 33.6 seconds. Li Xin and Guo Liping ensured a Chinese sweep of the event by coming in second and third.

It was Man, however, who got the snowball rolling on Sunday by braving the freezing climes - temperatures dropped as low as minus 20 degrees C during the race - to see off Sandra Gredig from Switzerland (second) and Finn Lotta Puttonen (third) for top honors.

In the 5km men's race, which was also held on both days, Sweden stayed in the limelight with Anders Hogberg claiming back-to-back titles.

Hogberg and compatriot Fredrik Persson refused to surrender their early lead yesterday, with the former clocking 12 minutes and 24 seconds to bag his second title while Persson raced home just 3.3 seconds later. Frenchman Rmi Damevin settled for third.

Sunday's action also saw Hogberg untouchable but it was another Swede, Johan Edin, who came in second.

Norway's Asgeir Ardal Mandelid took the final podium spot after winning a closely contested battle for third place with local skier Sun Qinghai.

The competitors now move on to Changchun in Jilin province for the third and fourth races of the tour, which get under way on New Year's Eve.