'Mother' gets kids on track

The young Chinese short track speed skating team didn't surpass its stellar result of four gold medals four years ago at the Vancouver Games, but the team's coach was pleased with its performances - particularly those of the men.

"We showed fighting spirit in the competitions and I am satisfied with the performances of the whole team," Li Yan, head coach of the Chinese team said after his skaters won two gold medals, three silver and one bronze at the Sochi Winter Olympic Games.

"China's men's team is rising up to be among the top ones. It is now capable of regularly winning medals."

Unlike in Vancouver, where all four gold medals came from the women's team, the Chinese men's team won two silver and the bronze in Sochi.

Han Tianyu claimed China's first medal in Sochi by winning the men's 1,500m, while teammate Wu Dajing took another silver in the 500m on Friday. China also recovered from a first-lap crash with the Netherlands in the men's 5,000m relay to finish third in 6:48.341.

"It was very difficult for the men's team to win the bronze in the relay," said Li, who has been working with the squad for eight years. "They remained calm and raced back to take the bronze despite the early clash. They just fought to the end."

China sent a young team to Sochi which was without former captain Wang Meng, the country's most decorated Winter Olympian, who suffered a severe injury just three weeks before the Games.

It was expected to be a tough Olympic journey for the squad, but Li said it never gave up.

"The whole team was very sad when Wang got injured, but we never felt like giving up," Li said. "Before each training session we shouted out: 'I can make it. China can win' to encourage us. We are a united team. I hope it will only get stronger and better in the future."

The young skaters said they had learned a lot.

"I am satisfied with my first Winter Olympics," said Shi Jingnan, 19, a member of the men's relay team. "I gained experience in the races and learned to handle an accident. We will be better in the future."

Li, 45, used to be a successful short track speed skater herself.

She won the 1,000m at the Calgary Winter Olympics in 1988 when short track speed skating was a demonstration sport and took silver four years later in Albertville. In 1995, she got a bachelor's degree in finance and economics then coached Slovakia's national team before heading to the US. She helped US skater Apolo Anton Ohno win the men's 500m gold at the 2006 Turin Winter Games.

After that Olympics, Li was appointed head coach of the Chinese team and led it to a peak of four gold medals in Vancouver.

"I give myself 90 points (out of 100) in terms of hard work with the team," Li said on Friday after all the races in Sochi had concluded. "It is a great honor to get the chance to pay back my home country."

The skaters call her "mother" in training and daily life.

"We need to pay her back for everything she has done for us," said Fan Kexin, who claimed a silver in the women's 1,000m on Friday. "She was like a mother for us in training and in everyday life. This is our tribute."

As for the future, Li, whose contract with the Chinese team expires in May, said she has not had the time to think about what she will do next.

"I still have to lead the team to compete in the World Championships next month, so I have no time to think about my future plans now," she said. "Just give me some time to think about it."

Whether she leaves or not, her efforts have been applauded by team officials.

"Li is a great coach and respectable woman," said Xiao Tian, deputy chef de mission of the Chinese delegation in Sochi. "She brought in advanced training concepts and methods and managed the team well. No matter if she will continue her work with us or not, we should give her the thumbs up."

leilei@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 02/23/2014 page12)