"Sadness" Fan Kexin: I especially want to win this gold medal

Gangneung, South Korea, Feb. 13 (China News Service) -- Walking toward the interview area, Fan Kexin exerted himself to control the tears in his eyes.

No one could have imagined that a scene from the Sochi Winter Olympics could be repeated in Pyeongchang, with Chinese short-track speed skater Fan Kexin once again folding in the 500m semifinals. But unlike when she fell to the ground in Sochi, this time she was directly convicted of foul play.

The contestants are in the game. Photo by Song Jihe

"In fact, I especially want to take this gold medal, these two days... These two days I was thinking about directions every day when I went to bed. Fan Kexin paused for a few seconds, looked up obliquely, controlled the swirling tears, and said with a long sigh of relief: "I also went all out to slide, but it was over." ”

As a five-time World Championships 500m women's short track speed skating champion, Fan Kexin is regarded as China's best women's 500m athlete after Yang Yang and Wang Meng. In 2010, 17-year-old Fan Kexin was called up to the Chinese national team, and then participated in the Montreal Short Track Speed Skating World Cup, winning the gold medal in the women's 3000m relay with Zhou Yang and other teammates, becoming the world champion.

In 2011, Fan Kexin, who participated in the World Championships for the first time, was crowned the 500m laurel, and a year later he successfully defended the title at the Shanghai World Championships, and then won the women's 500m "triple crown" at the 2015, 2016 and 2017 World Championships, equaling Yang Yang's record.

Despite multiple world championship titles, The most missing thing in Fan's career is an Olympic gold medal.

Fan Kexin of the Sochi Winter Olympics was considered to have absolute championship winning strength, but in the semi-finals, her ice knife accidentally hit the ice, suddenly lost her balance and fell to the ground, and finally regretted goodbye.

After coming to Pyeongchang, The most common thing Fan Kexin said in an interview was, "Winning the championship is my only goal."

The women's short track speed skating 500 meters is the dominant event for the Chinese team, and since Yang Yang won the championship in this event in 2002 to achieve the "zero breakthrough" of The Chinese Winter Olympic gold medal, the Olympic champion has not fallen behind. And twice in the Winter Olympics, the famous Fan Kexin has been under too much pressure.

Four years ago in Sochi, two-time Winter Olympic champion Wang Meng was accidentally injured before the game and did not qualify for the game, and the responsibility of winning gold at that time was pressed on Fan Kexin. At the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, two youngsters will play a total of 500 meters, and the experienced Fan Kexin is naturally regarded as the best candidate for China to achieve the "five consecutive championships".

However, in the fight against South Korea, which has a long history of short-track speed skating with China, the gold rush situation of this "king's division" is not optimistic. In the quarterfinals, Fan Kexin was second in the group, but South Korea's Choi Min-jing, who was also second in the group, was placed in the most advantageous inner road position, while Fan Kexin was the least dominant outer road in the same group.

During the competition, Fan Kexin started in the last place, and then due to the rush to surpass, collided with the Russian Olympians, almost fell, and once again opened the distance between her and her opponent; although she chased to third in the second half, Fan Kexin was still unable to recover the situation, and finally was convicted of fouls, and her gold chase road was completely broken.

Some commentators said that if Fan Kexin's dao order was better, the result would be completely different.

"Maybe the Olympics were like that, I took my chances, I gave it my all, but it was over." Fan Kexin still had tears in his eyes. "I'll be ready for the relay with all my might, and I'll have a chance to go to the gold again." (End)