Wang wants more medals

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By Tang Yue (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-22 09:41

China's champion short track speed skater, Wang Meng, remains confident of 2010 Winter Olympic Games glory despite a fall, which marred the start of her World Cup campaign on Sunday.

After successfully dominating the 500m, Wang crashed in the final of 1,000m at the International Skating Union World Cup - Beijing Station, the first of four meets this 2009-10 season.

Despite the tumble, the world record holder in both events was unshaken in her belief that she can capture multiple medals at the Vancouver Games in February.

"Of course I'm expecting more than one gold medal in 2010. Only one (gold medal) will be a let down for me," the defending Olympic 500m champion told China Daily on Sunday. "We've been training really hard over the past three years. For me, if we gain no more (medals than last time), it's kind of waste of time and effort," she said.

The 500m champion at the 2006 Turin Games said she wanted all the titles from 500m to 1,500m as well as the 3,000m relay crown.

"Among all the championships, the one I want most is the relay because it represents the strength of a country in skating," she said.

China's women's relay team bagged all of the gold medals on offer at last year's World Cup tournaments and World Championships. However, it has never claimed Olympic gold.

At the World Cup - Beijing Station, Wang and her teammates lost to long-time rivals South Korea, who have dominated the event at the Olympics since 1994. China's Zhang Hui fell after being pushed by teammate Liu Qiuhong and the team finished 4th.

"It only happens one or two times each year to top-level skaters," Wang said, referring to her and the team's falls. "We will be more careful next time and pay more attention to details. This just helps in our Olympic preparations."

Wang's opinion was echoed by Li Yan, head coach of Chinese team.

"To be frank, we didn't especially prepare for this meet, so I'm not surprised at the result. It just tells us what we should focus on in the coming few months."

The 2010 Games are only five months away but Wang says the pressure to perform well does not bother her as much as it used to.

"I do feel the burden on my shoulders. Every time I stand at the starting line I know the Chinese fans expect me to win the gold; even silver is kind of a failure to me," said the all-round champion at the past two World Championships.

"But that's what a champion has to face packaged with gold medals and glory. I'm kind of used to it."

Wang's relaxed and mature approach is appreciated by the coach and other Chinese skaters including Yang Yang, China's first Winter Olympic gold medalist who won the women's 500m and 1,000m at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games.

"I think Wang Meng is more relaxed than I was," Yang said. "Athletes of our generation were always expected to make a huge breakthrough; to win the first gold for China. Chinese people were waiting for so long.

"Now the girls just focus on training, perform at their best and then enjoy their life off the ice."

Wang agrees, and says Zhou Yang, who won the women's 1,500m title in Beijing, was another who handled pressure well.

"Yang Yang was born in 1970s. I belong to the post-1980s generation while Zhou Yang is post-1990s. There must be some differences there," said the 25-year-old. "I believe the younger generations handle failure and success more easily."