The 14th Winter Short Track Speed Skating Open kicked off on February 15th, with exciting races and intense competition. The event took place at the Inner Mongolia Ice Sports Training Center, where the temperature inside the hall was heated up for the competition, while the outdoor temperature dropped close to minus 30 degrees Celsius.
During the quarter-finals and preliminaries, notable athletes such as Wu Dajing, Ren Ziwei, Lin Xiaojuan, Liu Shaoang, Fan Kexin, Qu Chunyu, and others demonstrated their skill and determination. However, an upset occurred in the men’s 500m preliminaries when Liu Shaolin was punished for a foul and missed the quarter-finals.
The competition saw a large turnout of fans, with the venue reaching its 3,000-person capacity. Skaters from various provinces showcased their talent, with athletes from Jilin, Shandong, Heilongjiang, and other regions delivering impressive performances.
The women’s 500m preliminaries, which featured intense competition and collisions, saw skaters like Zhang Chutong, Gong Li, and Fan Kexin advance to the next round. Similarly, in the men’s 500m preliminaries, national team players such as Sun Long, Lin Xiaojuan, Ren Ziwei, Liu Shaoang, and Zhong Yuchen successfully advanced.
The day’s events ended with the men’s and women’s 1000 meters preliminaries, where veteran and newcomer skaters complemented each other, with Han Tianyu ranking first among all contestants.
The upcoming schedule for the 14th Winter Short Track Speed Skating Open includes the first gold medal day on the 16th, where three gold medals will be decided for the men’s and women’s 1500 meters and the mixed team relay. The competition continues to draw attention and anticipation from fans and athletes alike.