On February 26, the Chinese short track speed skating team arrived in Russia ahead of schedule for the Great Winter Games.
The members of the short track speed skating coaching staff looked at the team lists in their hands and fell into deep thought... It was just a big winter meet, was there any need to field such a strong lineup?
What is the Korean team going to do? Is it okay to spend as much as you like if you have a rich family?
In this Winter Games, South Korea has sent a semi-main lineup. Although it is a semi-main lineup, every player on this list is a main player in any country.
South Korean men’s team: Lee Jun-seo, Park Ji-won, Hong Kyung-hwan, Lee Sung-hoon.
South Korean women's team: Kim Ah Rang, Park Ji Won, Park Ji Yoon, Son Ha Kyung.
The eight members of the Korean team all rank in the top 20 in the ISU individual points rankings in more than one category...
According to Korean media, Kim Jian-woo and Kim Ye-jin were also supposed to come, but as a result, Kim Jian-woo secretly entered the girls' dormitory to deliver cold medicine to Kim Ye-jin. As a result, the two were suspended for a month by the Korean Ice Hockey League and deprived of their quota to compete in the Winter Games.
In addition to the Korean team, the Russian team and the French team also have many well-known players on their rosters, which can be regarded as semi-main lineups.
Looking back at the Chinese team's lineup, the men's team: Li Yuang, Li Wenwu, An Kai, Zou Yuchen, Lanbai; the women's team: Yang Yang, Huang Lan, Xu Aili, Wu Wanjin, Xiao Nan.
Although they are also semi-main players, except for Li Yuang, no player can rank in the top 20 in the ISU individual points ranking...
Wang Meng rubbed her eyebrows. She didn't expect that the competition in a big winter meeting would be so fierce.
To break down the results of the short track speed skating team in the recent Winter Games, they won 3 golds and 1 bronze in 2013, 3 golds and 4 bronzes in 2015, and 2 golds and 3 silvers in 2017. In Wang Meng's original plan, she wanted to create the best result of the short track speed skating team in the Winter Games.
Looking at this posture, if it were not for Li Yuang, let alone the best result, I would have created the worst result.
In a parallel world, the Chinese short track speed skating team did create the worst result at this Winter Games. If it weren't for the last corner in the men's 1500m final A, the second place Hong Jinghuan took the first place Park Ji-won, and the first place was beaten. An Kai, who finished third, won a gold medal for the Chinese team, and the Korean team will win all the gold medals in the men's team!
Even so, the Korean team still won 5 gold medals and even took the top three in the men's 1000m final.
"On the men's team, there is no problem with Li Yuang here, the key is the women's team!"
"Xu Aili on the women's team won the silver medal in the 500 meters at the last Winter Games. She should be capable of competing for medals." Team leader Zhang Hui said, but she did not dare to say that she would compete for the gold medal.
Wang Meng frowned. When did the Chinese women's team aim to win medals? When she was here, failure to win the gold medal in the 500-meter event was a failure!
Wang Meng did not say this. She knew that what Zhang Hui said was very realistic and even a little optimistic. The legal team Dresden, the Korean team Jin Yalang, and the Russian team Sofia all have the ability to compete for the gold medal. Here, Xu Aili was still far behind the three of them.
Wang Meng still hoped that the women's team could win a gold medal. She turned around and asked: "Coach Jin, which gold medal do you think the women's team should strive for?"
Jin Shantai, who was still fishing, was cued by Wang Meng and knew that he had to say something. As the head coach of the Korean team during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, many members of the Korean team were his disciples.
Jin Shantai cleared her throat and said in Chinese: "The most promising thing is the relay. The women's team training these days should focus on the relay..."
"As for the individual events, the difference in strength is too big. Whether you can advance to the finals depends on luck. We can arrange skating protection for key players."
Jin Shantai was the assistant coach of the single team that went to Harbin Institute of Physical Education in February. This winter meeting can also be regarded as his probation period. If results are achieved, Wang Meng will become a full-time player next season. If results are not achieved, Wang Meng will leave with him.
No one was angry because Jin Shantai said that the women's team was weak. Everyone knew what Jin Shantai said.
Wang Meng nodded in agreement and asked, "Coach Jin, what suggestions do you have for the men's team?"
Jin Shantai deliberately put it off and said: "Let Li Yuang figure skate!"
What?
Let Li Yuang protect the skate?
Isn't this Kim Seon-tae sent by the Korean team for a break?
The reason why Li Yuang received so much attention at this Great Winter Games is because he was the only one among the Chinese delegation in the entire Great Winter Games who was sure to win the gold medal! Players in other sports are at most capable of winning gold, but only Li Yuang is sure to win!
It can be said responsibly that on the short track speed skating competition day, the leaders of the Chinese delegation will definitely accompany you throughout the whole process!
If we really want to arrange for Li Yuang to protect the skates, I'm afraid the leader will be the first to disagree!
Everyone looked at Wang Meng, wanting to see what Wang Meng said.
Wang Meng was also stunned. She didn't expect Jin Shantai to make such an opinion. After all, she recruited Jin Shantai, and she believed in Jin Shantai's professional ethics.
"Coach Jin, please tell me specifically."
Seeing everyone looking at him, Jin Shantai said: "In the 500-meter event, among all the competitors, only Li Yuang can slip into 40 seconds. As long as he maintains his advantage and strives to win the gold medal together in every race, he will be safe."
"As for the 1,000-meter and 1,500-meter events, Li Yuang, Li Wenwu, and An Kai are all good at it. Coincidentally, the three people sent by the Korean team are also good at these two events."
"Before the finals of these two events, no matter who Li Yuang is assigned to a group with, they should be protected to allow more Chinese players to enter the finals and ensure the number of Chinese team participants in Group A of the finals..."
"Although Li Yuang enters the finals alone, he still has the ability to win the gold medal. But no matter what, the more people enter the final group A, the greater the probability of winning the gold medal!"
"If Li Yuang fails to be placed in a group with An Kai and Li Wenwu, then the finals will have to be left to fate!"
Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement. Jin Shantai did not want to abolish Li Yuang's point, but to let more Chinese players enter the finals. If the Chinese team has more people advancing, the number of other teams will naturally decrease.
And with Li Yuang's strength, it is entirely possible to protect himself while ensuring his advancement.
Fortunately, he is the former head coach of the Korean team. He thinks what others dare not think!
Team leader Zhang Hui suddenly said: "There is a problem... Li Yuang has never provided any protection to anyone since the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, and his skating style does not require anyone else to provide protection..."
Xiao Lijun on the side also chimed in: "Under normal circumstances, the weak ones are the ones who are strong in figure skating. And Li Yuang's strength is unique in this team, so let him protect Li Wenlong and An Kai. It’s slippery, it’s a bit difficult!”
Wang Meng thought for a while and said: "This matter is not difficult. Li Yuang is a member of the Chinese short track speed skating team and the captain of the Chinese short track speed skating delegation at this Winter Games. I believe that his ideological consciousness is still Okay, I’ll go tell him about this.”
