China grabs two golds at ISU World Junior Short Track Championships

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China won two gold medals at the International Skating Union World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Championships which ended Monday at Montreal, Canada.

China's Li Jinyu, the runner-up of the women's 1,500m at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Games, came from behind to win the 1,000m gold in 1:31:58. It's her first single title at a junior worlds competition.

"I didn't expect to win the gold," said Li on Monday. "I am very happy. I was bothered by my bad form two weeks ago, but I managed to deal with it and find my rhythm back."

Park Yoon Jung of South Korea got silver. Claudia Heeney of Canada gave the home crowd something to cheer about, grabbing the bronze.

Li also took a silver in the 1,500m on Sunday. The gold was clinched by 16-year-old Seo Whi Min of South Korea. Canadian Courtney Lee Sarault came in third.

"Seo is an arch rival," said Li. "She is very fast when taking the lead, and it's hard to overtake her. South Korea is strong in the 1,500m, but I will train hard and I think I can beat them one day."

Soon after Li's victory, China won another gold in the men's 3,000m relay, with Li Wenlong, Song Jian, Sun Long and Wang Pengyu breaking the junior world record in 3:58:501. The Netherlands got silver and Russia the bronze.

South Korean skaters dominated the other men's races. China's Wang Pengyu and Song Long took second places in the 1,500m and 500m respectively.

South Korea was the biggest winner of the three-day competition, winning five gold medals. China was ranked second with two golds and three silvers. The United States was third with one gold.

(Top image via VCG: China's silver medalist Li Jinyu poses on the podium during the medal ceremony for the short track women's 1500m at the Pyeongchang Medals Plaza during the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games on February 18, 2018.)

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency