Friday, February 26, 2010

Olympic Athlete Profile (23 of 25)- Wang Meng/women's short-track speed skating/China




Whew! We had tremendous problems trying to find an image that worked for this one, but I think after literally going through 15 different images we finally found one.

And, hopefully since Wang Meng, 24, is a short-track speed skater from China, a country with over a billion folks, I will be rewarded with more web hits than normal for a Friday afternoon!

Wang (in Chinese, one is refered to by first names) is considered to be the best women's short-track speed skater in the world. Before today's competition, she had earned 14 total medals in her career.

The Chinese skater has already won individual gold in the 500-meter race at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, and she is expected to win more medals today as she competes in two separate events.

Additionally, Wang won a team gold in the 3,000-meter relay when a South Korean skater crashed into one of Wang's teammates causing her team, which would have won gold otherwise, to be disqualified.

Wang got into short-track speed skating at age nine.

Her hero is English soccer star David Beckham.

She told the AP through an interpreter that she was elated and relieved to win gold in the 500-meter race:

"On the final two laps, I still felt my legs shaking," Wang said. "I guess when you're so close to what you've always wanted, it's natural to be shaken."

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