China cross-country skiing aims for Vancouver medals

CHANGCHUN, Northeast China - China's cross-country skiing national team aims for medals in the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, said head coach Ronnestrand Per-Erik Friday at a press conference of the "Vatternrundan-Mt. Changbashan Summer Skiing Festival".

Per-Erik, former head coach of the Swedish national team, began to take the helm of the Chinese team in 2005 when China's cross country skiing was still in an underway group at the moment.

"It's the third year I am on the head coach job in China. The Chinese team is becoming stronger and stronger," Per-Erik said.

The Chinese team has been training for two weeks at the Changbaishan moutains, and all the members are in good state, especially Man Dandan and Liu Yuanyuan, said the coach.

During the World Cup Changchun leg of the Federation International of Skiing, this February, Man finished eighth in the 1,200 meters and Liu reached fourth in the women's 10km.

Gao Xuedong, director of the skiing department of the Winter Games Managing Centre of the General Administration of Sports in China, said that it was difficult for the Chinese athletes to be listed among the top 30 in international competitions.

The best result China had achieved was the 18th. "It's a historic break through as we only reached the forth and the eighth," said Gao.

"The success has proved that the gap between the American and European competitors and our athletes is shorter. I aim for the top three in the Vancouver 2010," Liu told Xinhua.

And Man was even full of confidence that she will justify the true level of the Chinese team in Vancouver.

"I hope I can prepare for the 2010 Winter Olympics with the Chinese national team. Our target is to win medals in 2010. It's a hard work, but we will make efforts for it," said Per-Erik.

The first Vatternrundan-Mt. Changbaishan festival is to be hold tomorrow at Changbaishan mountain, when the Chinese team, led by Per-Erik, will compete against other 13 top-class skiers in the world including Bjorn Lind, winner in Turin 2006, and Ann Dahlberg.