Beijing, Oct 21 – The new season of short track speed skating commenced with the opening of the first stop of the ISU World Cup series in Montreal, Canada. The competition, running through Sunday, features skaters competing for individual medals in the 500m, 1,000m, and 1,500m events. The women’s 3,000m, men’s 5,000m, and mixed team 2,000m relays are also part of the schedule.
Chinese skaters had a successful start, with Zang Yize, Xu Aili, and Gong Li qualifying for the women’s 1,000m quarterfinals. However, Fan Kexin did not advance to the quarters in the women’s 500m. In the men’s races, Sun Long and Liu Shaoang progressed to the men’s 1,000m quarterfinals with the fastest finishes in their respective groups. Lin Xiaojun, Liu Shaoang, and Liu Shaolin all qualified for the men’s 500m quarters.
China also reached the semifinals in the women’s 3,000m and the men’s 5,000m relays. Notably, some star skaters, including Italy’s Arianna Fontana, Suzanne Schulting of the Netherlands, and South Korean Choi Min-jeong, were absent from the season opener in Montreal.”
