Chinese Wang Meng wins third gold at Vancouver Games

Chinese Wang Meng wins third gold at Vancouver Games

China's Wang Meng (L) celebrates with her teammate Zhou Yang after the women's 1000m final of short track speed skating at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada, Feb. 26, 2010. Wang Meng won the gold medal with 1 minute and 29.213 seconds.

VANCOUVER, Feb. 26 -- Chinese top skater Wang Meng won her third gold medal at the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games as she dashed to the finish line first in the women's 1,000m short track speed skating final here on Friday evening.

Wang fought for the leading position harshly with South Korean Park Seung-Hi and managed to keep it until finishing the race in one minute and 29.213 seconds.

This is Wang's third gold at the Pacific Coliseum after the 24-year-old team captain defended her title in the 500m race last Wednesday and led her teammates to top the podium of 3,000m relay one week later.

Wang believed that her victory depended on her morale. "I got a sore throat yesterday and didn't take training the whole day. I just competed with my tough mind."

It also meant that China swept all four gold medals of women's short track speed skating as Zhou held back three tough rivals from South Korea in the 1,500m final last Saturday.

"The four golds belong to our team rather than those who claimed them," said Wang, who collected four golds, one silver and one bronze from two Olympic Games.

China's Wang Meng celebrates during the victory ceremony for the women's 1000m final of short track speed skating at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada, Feb. 26, 2010.

American Katherine Reutter grabbed the silver medal in 1:29.324 and Park trailed behind to claim the bronze in 1:29.379 seconds.

"I feel like everything I've ever done has paid off. This is my moment I've been dreaming of," said the 21-year-old Reutter. "I'm feeling on top of the world."

While Reutter was extremely delighted for her silver medal, Park cried for finishing third. But her coach comforted her by saying that "at least you beat one Chinese athlete."

Wang's teammate Zhou Yang, who broke the world record of the distance in the semifinal was disqualified in the four-member final.

Zhou, 18, sliced 0.446 seconds off the previous world record of one minute and 29.495 seconds, which was set by her teammate Wang Meng in Harbin, China in 2008.

China's Wang Meng (C) reacts after the women's 1000m final of short track speed skating at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada, Feb. 26, 2010.

American Katherine Reutter grabbed the silver medal in 1:29.324 and Park trailed behind to claim the bronze in 1:29.379 seconds.

Wang's teammate Zhou Yang, who broke the world record of the distance in the semifinal was disqualified in the four-member final.

Zhou, 18, slipped 0.446 seconds off the previous world record of one minute and 29.495 seconds, which was set by her teammate Wang Meng in Harbin, China in 2008.

Zhou has snatched two gold medals at her first Olympic Games as she held back three tough rivals from South Korea in the 1,500m final last Saturday and was a member of the Chinese winning team in the 3,000m relay on Wednesday.

China's Wang Meng (L) skates during the women's 1000m final of short track speed skating at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada, Feb. 26, 2010.

China's Wang Meng (L) celebrates with her teammate Zhou Yang after the women's 1000m final of short track speed skating at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada, Feb. 26, 2010. Wang Meng won the gold medal with 1 minute and 29.213 seconds.

China's Wang Meng (Front) competes in the women's 1000m final of short track speed skating at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada, Feb. 26, 2010.
(Xinhua)