Wu Dajing of China (R) in action during the men's 500m heat at the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating series in Dordrecht, Netherlands, November 25, 2021. /CFP
Chinese skaters advanced in multiple events at the 2021-2022 International Skating Union (ISU) World Cup Short Track Speed Skating series in Dordrecht, Netherlands, on Thursday.
The mixed relay team, consisting of An Kai, Fan Kexin, Sun Long and Zhang Chutong, secured a seat in the 2,000m semifinals, with a 1st place finish of 2:40.968 in the quarterfinals, beating Italy, Japan, Germany, and Belarus.
In the men's 500m race, Olympic champion Wu Dajing and teammate Ren Ziwei both took the lead in their heats to qualify for the quarterfinals.
In the women's 1,500m race, Zhang Yuting, Guo Yihan and Han Yutong, all came in second in their heats and made it through to the semifinals.
The Netherlands race is the fourth stop in this year's World Cup series and also the last chance for athletes to qualify for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games due to kick off on February 4.
Team China pocketed five gold medals, three silvers, and five bronzed from the first three stops, and are keeping the momentum going in Dordrecht by registering franchise skaters within the team to warm-up for the upcoming Beijing 2022.
(With input from Xinhua News Agency)