China tied South Korea for the top position in the event which ended on Wednesday as China triumphed in the women's 500m and 3,000m relay and men's 500m and 1,500m. South Korea excelled in women's 1,000m and 1,500m as well as men's 1,000m and 5,000m relay.

"I am happy with the overall results, but more importantly, we have a young team, a team full of hope," said Li, who coached American Apolo Anton Ohno to the 500m title in last year's Turin Olympic Games.

"South Korean fielded a squad featuring Olympic stars like Ahn but our athletes did a great job competing against them," she said.

Turin Olympic champion Wang Meng, 21, and her teammates Fu Tianyu, 28 and Zhu Mile, 22, made a clean sweep in the women's 500m.

Hu Ze, 23, was the surprise winner in the men's 500m and the 21-year-old Sui Baoku upset Olympic champion Ahn Hyun Soo to win 1,500m.

Young as Chinese athletes are, they keep a clear head despite their good results.

"It doesn't matter whether we win or they win now. What matters is how we perform in the Olympics," said Wang Meng.

Song Kyung Taek took a silver in the 500m and Chinese Li Ye finished third after his first bronze in 1,500m.

"Their performance gave me a lot of confidence in our build-up for the 2010 winter Olympics," said the 38-year-old Li.

South Korea, clinching six golds in Aomori Games in 2003, even had two titles short of what they had in the Turin last year.

Triple Turin champion Ahn, sick from a bad cold, had the men's 1,000m and 5,000m relay titles to his name. He was in tears after his winning result was annulled for a foul in the 500m.

Jin Sun Yu, Turin 1,000m, 1,500m and 3,000m relay titlists, only bagged 1,000m gold ahead of Wang and her fellow South Korean Jung Eun Ju, who beat Jin in the 1,500m for the glory.