Wang Qiang finished second in the men's sprint at the Cross Country World Cup in Norway on Thursday, the first time that a Chinese has finished among the medal places in the sport in the International Ski Federation (FIS) series.

France's Richard Jouve claimed his first World Cup title in 2 minutes and 32.84 seconds, while his compatriot Lucas Chanavat finished behind Wang in third.  

Wang was thrilled with his silver medal, writing on China's Twitter-like platform, Weibo: "Today is a milestone. This is the first time a Chinese athlete stands on the podium of the World Cup series. We have won the respect of the world. "

"I am thankful to all who helped, encouraged, and supported me, including the Chinese team, family and friends. You gave me strength. I will continue to pursue my dream with a humble attitude." 

(With input from Xinhua News Agency)