1,500 metres, Women

China had the strongest team going into this event. Apart from 500 m champion Wang Meng, it featured Zhou Yang, who held the 1,500 m world record and had won the season’s World Cup for the distance. The defending World Champion, Kim Min-Jeong of South Korea, was not selected for this event, but with Lee Eun-Byeol, Park Seung-Hui and Jo Hae-Ri they fielded a strong team.

All favorites went through to the semi-finals, but the second semi-final heat saw the exit of Wang. Attempting to pass two skaters, Wang caused a pile-up with Jo and Katherine Reutter (United States). She was disqualified for this, while Jo and Reutter were advanced to the final. Also qualified were Lee, Tania Vicent, Erika Huszár, Evgeniya Radanova, Park and Zhou. Three laps from the bell in the crowded final, Zhou opened up a lead on the pack, with only Lee and Park able to follow. Zhou held on until the finish line, while the two Koreans were far enough in front to fight it out for silver (Lee) and bronze (Park).

After her title, Zhou was naturally ecstatic, and in an interview with Chinese television, she thanked her parents, who had supported her sports dreams, despite their poverty. While this would not have caused raised eyebrows in most of the world, it caused a stir in China, where athletes generally thank their country. IOC member Yu Zaiqing was quoted as saying: )It’s fine to thank your mom and dad [for the gold medal] but one needs to thank the country first and foremost), referring to the country’s government funded sports system. But Yu’s comment received a lot of criticism in China, notably from the younger internet generation, who preferred Zhou’s more natural and enthusiastic response.