On the evening of February 11, Beijing time, the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics short track speed skating men's 5000 meters relay semifinals began to compete, and finally, the Chinese team composed of Wu Dajing, Ren Ziwei, Li Wenlong and Sun Long successfully entered the final. It is worth mentioning that there was a moment of horror in the race, when Li Wenlong of the Chinese team was kicked by the opponent to the ice knife while sliding and fell directly off the track. Fortunately, in the end, after the referee reviewed the video, the Chinese team was judged to be in the final. On February 16, the men's 5,000m final of short track speed skating will be ignited, and the Chinese team will compete with Canada, Italy, South Korea and other teams to compete for the heaviest gold medal in this Winter Olympic Games.
In the short track speed skating event of the Winter Olympics, the relay race is the top priority and the gold medal in the collective event that all participants most want to win. In addition to the men's 5,000 meters and women's 3,000 meters relay, the Winter Olympics also added a mixed 2,000 meters relay, and the Chinese team has previously won the first mixed relay gold medal in the history of the Winter Olympics. Unlike individual competitions, relay events require more team cooperation and can also reflect the overall level of each team.
In order to become an invincible team in short-track speed skating relay, you need both a master of short-distance events and a strong player in long-distance aspects, and the combination of short and long is the most ideal lineup combination for relay races. The explosive runners are responsible for starting and sprinting, and the endurance runners are responsible for helping the team to surpass and follow up in the race. Previously, the Chinese women's short track speed skating team has reached the final, and they will compete with South Korea, the Netherlands and Canada for the gold medal in the women's 3,000-meter relay at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
In the men's 5,000m semifinals, the Chinese team was in the same group as Italy, Canada and Japan, and in addition to the Japanese team, the other two opponents were very strong.
The Chinese team sent Wu Dajing, Ren Ziwei, Li Wenlong and Sun Long to play, and the Chinese team started from the second lane of Group A. Because Li Wenlong was affected by the normal taxi and fell directly out of the track, many on-site spectators instantly issued a sighing sound. Just when everyone thought that the Chinese team would not qualify for the final, the duty referee reviewed the video of the game and judged the Chinese team to the final. Many netizens joked, "This referee can be punished" and "this referee grandfather is the most handsome person in the Beijing Winter Olympics".
In the other semi-final, the four teams of South Korea, Hungary, the Netherlands and the Russian Olympic Committee staged a strong dialogue, and finally the South Korean team and the Russian Olympic Committee advanced to the final. At the last Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, the short track speed skating men's 5000m relay final had a dramatic scene, due to the unexpected mistake of the South Korean team, in the end, the Hungarian team won the historic championship and the Chinese team won the runner-up. At this Winter Olympics, as the host, the Chinese team hopes to win the first Olympic gold medal in the history of the project at home. Judging from the final list, all four teams have the strength to compete for the championship, and who can reach the top of the podium mainly depends on the on-the-spot performance and tactical coordination.
(Luo Treasurer)