BEIJING, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Olympic champion Wu Dajing has been appointed head coach of China's short track speed skating team, China's Winter Sports Management Center announced on Wednesday.

Wu Dajing of China reacts after the men's 500m short track speed skating final at Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 13, 2022. (File photo: Xinhua)

Wu, 32, became the first Chinese man to win Olympic gold in short track speed skating when he captured the 500 meters at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. He also helped China win the mixed 2,000-meter relay title at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Wu's appointment follows a public selection process launched on July 29 as China began preparations for the 2030 Winter Olympics. Applicants were required to be Chinese citizens under 55 with elite coaching and competitive experience, although candidates with two or more Olympic gold medals were exempt from the coaching requirement.

China took only one silver medal in short track at Milan-Cortina earlier this year, its first Winter Olympics without a gold medal in the sport since 2002.