As the 6th Asian Winter Games approaches, Chinese cross-country
skiers have been intensifying their training and expect to "draw
sword" in the Games slated for Jan. 28 - Feb. 4 in Changchun,
Northeast China, said their head coach on Thursday.
"We have confidence in the competition 10 days later, and we
promise to give the Chinese people a pleasant surprise," said
Per-Erik Ronnestrand, head coach of the Chinese cross-country
skiing team.
Ronnestrand and his team have been training in Changchun for two
weeks and all the members stand ready for battle.
"Our skiers are becoming increasingly mature in skills,
especially players like Li Geliang and Xia Fang. And they are
catching up with the world champions," said the coach.
Wang Chunli, who captured all women's titles in the Far East Cup
of the International Ski Federation and Vasaloppet China 50km ski
race earlier this month in Changchun, said her achievement was not
grandiose and she expected more in the upcoming Asian Winter
Games.
"This is just a beginning. I will play to my best in the Asian
Winter Games," said Li Geliang, the first and second runner-up of
men's events of the two sport events.
The biggest threat for the Chinese men's team comes from
Kazakhstan and that for the women's team from Ukraine, said
Ronnestrand, but the Chinese team will fear no opponent..
Li Geliang chased Olympic champion Stanislav Rezac for the
silver medal by 10 seconds in two hours 19 minutes and 10 seconds
at Vasaloppet China.
"The competitiveness of the Chinese cross-country skiing team is
speeding up in the world, and the earlier two international sports
have just provided a good chance for their training," said Wang
Yitao, president of the China Skiing Association.
Players like Wang Chunli and Li Geliang have shown a lot of
promise and will be the main force in the Winter Asiad competing
for the gold medal, Wang added.
The China's State General Administration of Sport has announced
the Chinese squad for the Games with 261 members, including 79
female and 81 male athletes, to compete in all 47 competitions held
during the events.
(Xinhua News Agency January 19, 2007)