Tag Archives: Vancouver 2010

Another medal for China on Day 7

Day 7 review

The evening aerials competition provided some stunning shots
The evening aerials competition provided some stunning shots

Chinese interest on Valentine’s Day focused on the women’s aerials competition, but it was a late one: three of the four Chinese competitors made it through to the final, which didn’t start until 0130 China time. Once there, all three – Xu Mengtao (above), Li Nina and Cheng Shuang – made it through the first stage as four of the 12 finalists were eliminated; then Xu, the 2013 world champion, and Li, Olympic silver medalist in 2006 and 2010, made it through to the final four with defending champ Lydia Lassila from Australia and Belarusian Alla Tsuper, a 34-year-old mother taking the last jump of a 16-year Olympic career that had seen her finish 5th, 9th, 10th and 8th – but no medals. Continue reading Another medal for China on Day 7

China’s Olympics: Day 5 review, Day 6 preview

Day 5 review

Pang and Tong bow out in SochiIt wasn’t to be for China’s veteran figure skater duo Tong Jian and Pang Qing, who made their competitive swansong on Wednesday evening in the free program of the pairs competition. They started in 4th place after their short program, and that’s where they finished, despite a free program that was third best overall. Consolation prize for retiring? They now have time to get married. Russia finished 1-2, matching China’s finish from four years ago, and the Germans were third. China’s other pair – Cheng Peng and Zhang Hao – finished in 8th.

Continue reading China’s Olympics: Day 5 review, Day 6 preview

China’s Olympics: Day 4 review, Day 5 preview

Day 4 review

Zhang HongTuesday February 11 was a solid – but ultimately disappointing – day for China. Speed skater Zhang Hong (pictured left) pulled out the performance of the day in the first run of the women’s 2 x 500 m. Her time of 37.58 was a new track record at the time, though two competitors later went faster, placing Zhang in bronze medal position at the half way point. Her second race was considerably slower at 37.99 for a 4th place finish – 0.1 seconds out of bronze – but she’ll have another chance in the 1,000 m.

Continue reading China’s Olympics: Day 4 review, Day 5 preview

中国参加冬奥会不应紧盯金牌

2008年北京奥运会,中国在比赛第一天拿下2枚金牌,第二天又将4枚金牌收入囊中。2012年伦敦奥运会,同样的故事继续上演,中国在比赛前两天内平均每天拿下6枚奖牌,其中一半是金牌。

China at the Sochi Olympics Opening Ceremony Continue reading 中国参加冬奥会不应紧盯金牌

China’s Olympics: Day 2 review, Day 3 preview

As expected, Sunday February 9 provided little in the way of Chinese cheer: in cross-country, Xu Wenlong finished 59th (out of 68) in the men’s skiathlon,

Song Na: blue hair, grey hair or just bad lighting?
Song Na: blue hair, grey hair or just bad lighting?

while biathletes Zhang Yan, Tang Jialin,  Song Chaoqing and Song Na finished 49th, 55th, 63rd and 83rd (out of 84) respectively. Song Na missed  a team-high four targets in total, and, at 18, clearly hasn’t realized that if you’re going to have rock star hairstyle, you’d better be ready to play in the big leagues.

Continue reading China’s Olympics: Day 2 review, Day 3 preview

运动员获奖后首先该感谢谁?

在4年前的温哥华冬奥会上,18岁的中国短道速滑运动员周洋打破1500米奥运会纪录,为中国代表队夺得了温哥华奥运会第三块金牌。随后,周洋又帮助中国队以打破世界纪录的成绩夺得3000米接力桂冠。她还进入到短道速滑1000米决赛,并且在半决赛上创下新的世界纪录。 Continue reading 运动员获奖后首先该感谢谁?

Winter Olympics preview: China’s medal hopes [UPDATED]

China has long been known as a Summer Olympic powerhouse (3rd, 2nd, 1st, 2nd in last four Games), with an almost impenetrable grip on sports such as diving and table tennis, but in recent years, it has been at the Winter Olympic Games where China has made the most improvements.

China finished in 16th place in the medal table in Nagano in 1998, then posted 13th and 14th place finishes in Salt Lake City and Turin respectively, but leapt up to 7th in Vancouver four years ago and, in the process, became a genuine force to be reckoned with at the Winter Olympics. Here are the most likely contenders to win medals for the motherland in Sochi: Continue reading Winter Olympics preview: China’s medal hopes [UPDATED]

China begins search for a new Olympic star

I wrote last week about speed skater Wang Meng breaking her ankle after she crashed into an as-yet-unnamed male teammate, putting a serious dent into China’s Olympic hopes. Some people have pointed out to me since that China doesn’t exactly need much sympathy when it comes to the Olympics – their last six medal tables have seen them finish 4th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st, 2nd.

Photo credit: Getty Images
Photo credit: Getty Images

But that is the Summer Games, and the Winter Games is a different story, Continue reading China begins search for a new Olympic star

China’s star skater out of Sochi Games

Wang Meng, China’s most decorated Winter Olympian (4G, 1S, 1B), is out of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi after fracturing her ankle on Thursday. The short track speed skater won three of China’s five gold medals at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010 (500m, 1000m, 3000m relay), which won her CCTV’s Sports Personality of the Year award, and she was hotly tipped to add to that tally in Sochi.

Wang Meng in Vancouver 2010 Continue reading China’s star skater out of Sochi Games