Fan Kexin wins the women's 500m final in 42.714 seconds in Shanghai, Dec 8, 2019. (Photo:Xinhua)
SHANGHAI -- Hosts China bounced back after a dismal first competition day and won two gold medals on Sunday at the ISU Short Track Speed Skating Shanghai.
Despite being ousted from three relays and an injured Wu Dajing, the Chinese team delivered good performances on Sunday as Fan Kexin and Han Tianyu claimed a gold medal each. China collected two gold, two silver and two bronze in the World Cup Shanghai.
"I didn't expect much here," said Wang Meng, head coach of the Chinese team. "It's the fourth leg of the World Cup series. We won two gold in the first leg, three in the second, one in the third."
"To me, it is just a World Cup. It's not an Olympic Games; It's not a World Championships," said the former four-time Olympic short track speed skating champion. "Our aim is the World Championships next year."
Fan Kexin won China's first gold in Shanghai. Fan, runner-up in the women's 1000m at Sochi Games 2014, won the women's 500m final in 42.714 seconds, leaving Dutch Yara van Kerkhof to second place with 42.902. Qu Chunyu of China came third in 43.015.
"I am so excited," said Fan. "It is my first gold medal at the World Cup in four years. I just kept going ahead in the final."
In the men's 1000m final, Han Tianyu took the lead with three laps to go and held the advantage until the end. He finished in 1:28.351. Hungary's Shaoang Liu and South Korean Park Ji Won took second and third respectively.
China's Olympic champion Wu Dajing, who injured his waist on Saturday's 500m final, entered the 500m (2) quarters on Sunday but failed to make the semis.
Hungary's Shaolin Liu won his second 500m title in Shanghai with 40.722. South Korea's Lee June Seo came second in 40.904, while Stevan Dubios of Canada ranked third in 41.289.
The women's 1000m final was dominated by Netherlands' star skater Suzanne Schulting, who crossed the line in 1:29.089. South Korea's Seo Whi Min and Canada's Kim Boutin came second and third respectively.
Moreover, Canada won the women's 3,000m relay and Russia topped the men's 5,000m relay.