Skater Li illuminates Day 3 of winter games
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Xinhua, January 7, 2012
Hosts favorite Li Zijun highlighted Day 3 competitions of the 12th National Winter Games of China as the teenage sensation wrapped all from the women's singles figure skating in Changchun on Friday.
The 15-year-old Changchun native surprised all by nailing a 2-3-2 jump during her impressive free skate, gliding to Lee Holdridge's "Scenes of Summer", to come out a clear front runner with 125.56 points.
"I felt at the moment that I could do better," said Li, whose routine had originally included a double-double at her second jump. "I knew the odds were small but I wanted to try."
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Hosts favorite Li Zijun highlighted Day 3 competitions of the 12th National Winter Games of China as the teenage sensation wrapped all from the women's singles figure skating in Changchun on Friday. [Photo/sohu] |
"It's a challenge against myself and I'm so happy to have made it," said the sweet teenage girl, who burst into tears after the successful free skate.
Her national teammate Zhang Kexin from Harbin was beaten to a distant second place with a remarkable deficit of 19.63 points. Another Harbin skater Zhao Ziquan was third in free skate on 98.28.
Li thus completed a hat-trick by winning all women's singles figure skating titles on offer, namely the performance, a China-only event set up to stimulate skaters to promote artistic expression, short program and free skate.
"The girl has done a nearly flawless routine, which's far beyond her normal level," said Li's national team coach Li Chengjiang. "I'm so proud of her."
Also on the figure skating rink, former world champions Pang Qing and Tong Jian held on to the last seconds to win the free skate with a 0.65-point edge over defending champions and national teammates Zhang Dan/Zhang Hao.
The two Harbin pairs thus completed 1-2 finish after leading the short program on Thursday.
Another Harbin skater Yan Han was the men's singles winner for free skate, but lost on total score to Song Nan.
Song, who took home a silver medal at this season's Grand Prix in France, missed the title for the free skate on Friday after suffering a stumble after the quartet jump.
On the speedskating rink, Wang Fei of the Chinese Army PLA came out the women's all-around winner while Sun Longjiang of Jilin city triumphed as the men's.
On the skiing competitions at Beidahu resort, the hosts swept all team titles at the freestyle skiing moguls as well as the normal hill ski jumping, both men's and women's.
Ning Qin, who won the women's moguls on Thursday, made it double as the 20-year-old birthday girl led Changchun to the team title on Friday, saying that two golds could be the best birthday gift ever.
The alpine combined titles went to Harbin's women skier Xia Lina and Zhang Yuxin of Jiamusi in the men's event, while both biathlon gold medals were pocketed by the Chinese Army PLA as Cheng Fangming took the men's title and Tang Jiali won the women's.
The 12th National Winter Games run through Jan. 3-13, with ice competitions being held in Changchun and snow events in the Beidahu skiing resort.
