Chapter 28, the second leg of the Elite League, also...
The second leg of the Elite League also serves as the selection process for the national team roster for the Short Track Speed Skating World Cup. According to the selection criteria, athletes who won medals at last season's World Championships or Winter Olympics are exempt from selection. Other athletes need to be among the top four in points.
Short track speed skating is a winter sport, and its season is concentrated from the end of October each year to the end of March of the following year. This period mainly includes six Short Track Speed Skating World Cup events and the final World Championships. If the Olympics are like the final college entrance examination, which is a four-year cycle, then the World Championships each year are like the final exam.
The all-around champion and Golden Boot winners will also be determined at the World Championships. This means that the athlete who competes in the 500m, 1000m, 1500m, and 3000m at the World Championships and ranks first in the final standings will be eligible for the Golden Boot. The World Cup follows a selection process of two events in the Americas, two in Asia, and two in Europe. Because it roughly circles the globe, some figure skating fans jokingly refer to the seven World Cup and World Championships as "The Wandering Earth." The Asian Winter Games and the Winter Universiade (Universiade) are also held periodically during this period, not every year.
The top five finishers in this selection process will be added to the national team roster to compete in the 2014-2015 Short Track Speed Skating World Cup. Last year, the competition in the women's team was also fierce. Although Xu Qinghe, who won the 1500m gold medal at the Solomon Islands Winter Olympics, temporarily left the team for adjustments, and Li Jie in the 500m retired, other athletes who achieved success at the Winter Olympics have already secured two spots. The women's team now has only four spots remaining.
Ren Xiyao arrived in Jilin City with the team a week ago. The Elite League, which is also the domestic league, kicked off yesterday. The first few stops of the new season will feature pursuit races, with points earned in these races determining eligibility for the main competition. These races are primarily used to select and test athletes' skating abilities. They also aim to reduce collisions and interference during the main competition; they are typically used as preliminary rounds for qualifying.
The races are divided into different numbers of laps, such as 4-lap and 9-lap pursuit races, where athletes skate individually and are ranked based on their timed performance. Typically...
The results of the pursuit race not only determine whether an athlete can enter the main competition, but also serve as a basis for the scheduling of the main competition. For example, in the 500m and 1000m races mentioned earlier, these results are very important for events where lane assignments are highly valued.
The rules of the pursuit race are also different from those of regular races. All athletes compete in pairs, with each pair starting at the beginning and end of the starting line. The two athletes face each other across half of the ice rink, chasing each other, which is the origin of the name "pursuit race".
After the previous day's pursuit race and preliminary rounds, Ren Xiyao completed all three events and achieved good results. Lin Shan also successfully participated in the 500m and 1000m preliminary rounds through the pursuit race and advanced to the next round.
After two days of competition, Ren Xiyao won the gold medal in the 1500m and first place in the 500m B group, ranking fourth overall. Lin Shan won the silver medal in the 500m; the 500m competition in China is always fierce, and this time it was no exception. Ultimately, just one runner behind Lin Shan in winning the gold medal was her senior from the same ice training center, Xu Xin, who also participated in the Suocheng Winter Olympics and achieved good results.
Meanwhile, on the ice, the event being prepared was the women's 1000m Group A final. As a city with a high level of interest in winter sports, Jilin City had a large number of spectators at the venue. Commentary was also provided. After a brief silence following the sound of the starting gun, cheers erupted from the stands.
The commentator's voice echoed through the stadium: "Ladies and gentlemen, the competition begins! We'd like to introduce the lineup for this 1000mm final. First up is Xu Xin from the Longcheng Ice Sports Training Center. This 21-year-old is participating in the Suocheng Winter Olympics for the first time and has performed quite well. Next is Su Meng from the Zhanqing Club. This 22-year-old is considered a mid-career athlete and has performed well in domestic competitions, specializing in short distances. Third is Wang Lu from the Lanhai Club. She's 20 years old and was selected for the national team last year." She has won medals in several World Cup events. Lane 4 is also occupied by Ren Xiyao from the Longcheng Ice Sports Center. She is considered a rising star in Chinese short track speed skating. She is 20 years old this year. She has good explosive power in short distances and is also quite strong in long distances. She recently trained in South Korea, and yesterday's 1500m race was incredibly aggressive – you could see that! Finally, there's veteran Tang Yiqing from the Blue Ocean Club. These athletes can be considered some of the most accomplished long-distance skaters in China so far. Alright! We can see the intensity starting in the 1000m race!
"Nowadays, as you can see, the speed in the 1000m race is very fast right from the start. At the beginning of this century, when the previous generation of athletes started the 1000m race, the speed wasn't this fast. Now, because the athletes' physical fitness is getting better and better, their speed is getting faster and faster, coupled with the unpredictability of short track speed skating, the competition in middle and long distances, including long distances, is very fierce from the very beginning."
"Now entering the fifth lap, Su Meng starts to accelerate! She tries to widen the gap, but Ren Xiyao is sticking close! In the 1000-meter race of short track speed skating, athletes usually start to exert themselves around 600-700 meters, because sprinting too early can easily lead to exhaustion!"
"Su Meng is currently in the lead, while Ren Xiyao is firmly in second place! Everyone, please pay attention, Ren Xiyao's skating route is very clever. She stays close to the inside lane to reduce wind resistance, while putting pressure on Wang Lu on the outside lane! This is the 'following tactic' in short track speed skating. The leading skater expends more energy, while the second-place skater can use the wake of the leading skater to conserve energy and build up energy for a later overtake!"
"Wow! Wang Lu accelerates on the outside! She's going to overtake Ren Xiyao from the inside! Ren Xiyao doesn't give way, and the two collide! Oh, Wang Lu went off the track due to the collision. The race continues! This is the charm of short track speed skating, a contest of millimeters!"
The spectators on the sidelines gasped and screamed along with the intense battle on the track, and the DJ's music grew faster and faster. The atmosphere seemed to have reached its peak, and the referee's final lap bell pushed everything to its climax.
"Crossing the finish line!! It's all so close! Who will take first place? Let's wait for the judges to confirm."
At the moment she crossed the finish line, the audience erupted in enthusiastic cheers. The entire speed skating track truly delivered a thrilling experience, keeping spectators on the edge of their seats. After crossing the finish line, Ren Xiyao looked back at the big screen, awaiting the final result. The referees on the track and the judges in the judging panel confirmed each other's information before announcing the penalty and final score. This was because a collision had just occurred on a corner.
Referees typically make judgments from multiple angles. Viewers on television usually only see one or two angles, while referees have more angles and a wider range of judgment criteria. Therefore, the process takes longer. The moment the results were announced, Ren Xiyao undisputedly won first place, and she happily clenched her fists to cheer herself on. Wang Lu, who attempted a dangerous overtake, was penalized; short track speed skating fouls are marked with the letter "pen".
Short track speed skating has very strict rules regarding overtaking on curves, and there are many different types of rules. Because short track speed skating is highly competitive, especially on curves where many athletes want to overtake, the permitted overtaking on curves, particularly when entering and exiting a curve, depends on the placement of the marker blocks.
The appearance of the first marker at the end of the straight signifies the start of a curve, especially for those attempting an inside overtake. From this point onward, if the driver ahead maintains a firm grip on the inside, you must temporarily yield, even if you intend to overtake, or you will be penalized for an illegal overtake. Illegal overtaking in curves is extremely dangerous for drivers, so this penalty is implemented for their safety.
"Dear viewers, the 1000m short track speed skating is not only a contest of speed, but also a battle of tactics. The leading skater must control the rhythm, the following skaters must wait for the right opportunity, and the final overtaking often depends on cornering technique and mental fortitude. In fact, most viewers of short track speed skating have a misconception that the faster the speed, the better, but that's not true. Only by reaching the maximum speed within your control can you achieve the best results. Even the fastest absolute speed cannot guarantee a good result. If you want to focus on absolute speed, speed skating is actually more suitable. Today, Ren Xiyao perfectly demonstrated the 'counterattack' tactic and a beautiful cornering overtake with precise timing. Let's congratulate her again!"
As the commentator finished speaking, the entire stadium erupted in enthusiastic applause. Ren Xiyao has won two gold medals in the domestic elite league and is currently ranked second in the standings. Following the relay race, the roster for the 2014-2015 women's short track speed skating team should be released soon.
The chill of early autumn is already in the air in Yoshino, marking the start of the short track speed skating season. And with a shout of "Go to the start!", the season began.
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