By Julien Pretot
BEIJING (Reuters) – China won two of the four short track mixed team relay World Cup events this season and a powerful quartet led by Ren Ziwei and Wu Dajing are expected to give the hosts their first gold of the Beijing Games when the race makes its Olympic debut on Saturday.
Wu, Ren, Fan Kexin and Zhang Yuting will be a force to be reckoned with on home ice as they race the 2,000 metres distance around the Capital Indoor Stadium.
The Chinese skipped two training sessions and have not been available for foreign media in Beijing, avoiding some of the pressure of the Games, but Ren said the team looked in good shape.
“It’s not only me, our entire team is in good shape and everyone is actively preparing for the upcoming Games,” he told local media.
Ren was part of the squad which won a silver in the men’s 5,000m relay in Pyeongchang four years ago but he was omitted from the quartet who raced in the final.
“I feel less excitement and tension this time, comparing to the last Games when my mind was blank and I was in a confused state.
“This time, I prepared it just like an ordinary race. I’m relatively calm and all the members of the team are also very united.”
South Korea are the most decorated nation at the Olympics in short track speed skating with 24 gold medals since the sport made its debut in 1992, but they have had a rough build-up to the Games.
Shim Suk-hee was suspended for two months over remarks about coaches and team mates and therefore misses out on the Games after losing her bid for an injunction against the ban.
Lim Hyo-jun was banned from the South Korea team amid an alleged sexual harassment scandal for which he was eventually cleared.
In four World Cup mixed team relays this season, South Korea’s best result was third place in the opening event in Beijing, the only time they finished on the podium. But they set the world record in the semi-finals in Beijing.
The Netherlands, led by rising star Suzanne Schulting, are among the top other contenders along with Hungary, the ROC (Russian Olympic Committee) and Canada.
Russian skater Denis Ayrapetyan said the key to the event was control.
“Control for everything. Control over your rivals, control over your technique,” he added. “And the most important thing is to concentrate and show high speed.”
Compatriot Sofia Prosvirnova said there was only one thing to remember: “Simply go fast. Just go fast.”
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Editing by Peter Rutherford)
