The season-opening ISU World Tour stop in Montreal delivered the usual thrills on short track speed skating, but it was one skater who stole the spotlight on Sunday. Liu Shaoang ignited a late surge that propelled the Chinese mainland team to gold in the mixed 2000m relay.
The Chinese mainland squad laid out a conservative race plan: Wang Xinran took the first leg, staying patient at the back of the pack. After five laps, teammate Sun Long seized a gap as South Korea and the Netherlands tangled, shooting into second place.
By the halfway mark, the Chinese mainland had already taken the lead. But the final laps brought a familiar frenzy. A Canadian skater skidded off the track, and a Dutch racer muscled past Zhang Chutong, dropping the Chinese mainland to third with three laps to go.
That's when Liu Shaoang, the Olympic relay gold medalist, took charge. He blasted off the last exchange, carved through the inside on the penultimate corner, and crossed the line in 2:39.528, securing gold for the Chinese mainland. The Netherlands claimed silver, Canada took bronze, and South Korea was later disqualified for a foul.
This win sets the tone for the season, and the skating world will be watching how Liu and the Chinese mainland squad build on this strong start.
Reference(s):
Liu shines as China clinch gold in mixed 2000m relay at ISU World Tour
cgtn.com