Source: Xinhua
02-27-2009 08:44
Special Report: Harbin 24th Winter UniversiadeHARBIN, Northeast China, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese speed skating team kept in low key after having savored an unprecedented victory in the Harbin Winter Universiade.
The host collected five gold, eight silver and three bronze medals in the speed skating competitions just concluded here on Thursday.
South Korea was edged to the second place only with deficit of five silvers, as the traditional powerhouses of the sport like Holland and Canada sent none of their senior skaters to the universiade and abdicated to the Asians.
Officials from the Chinese team, however, have warned to keep cool-headed.
"We have made a breakthrough on the long-course speed skating with two gold medals in hand, but it's earned in a tournament missing some world-class competitors," said Lan Li, vice director of the Chinese Winter Sports Administrative Center.
"And we have to note that few of our title winning results are world class and none of our gold medals came from the men's events," he said at a press conference on Thursday.
