The Chinese short track speed skating team finished in 4:17.194 to win the women's 3,000m relay, the second gold for China after Wang Meng's victory in the 500m event at the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships, which concluded yesterday in Minneapolis, the US.

In the final of the women's 3,000m relay yesterday, Wang and her teammates Fu Tianyu, Cheng Xiaolei and Zhu Mile pressed on to the finish line without a letup to win the gold in 4:17.194, followed by Canada and Italy respectively.

Canada won the men's 5,000m relay event after South Korea was disqualified for a foul. China took the silver and the US was third.

Wang, who won gold for the same event at the Torino Olympics, led a Chinese 1-2 finish in the final on Saturday. Wang clocked a time of 44.006 seconds.

Adding the gold to the silver she won in the 1,500m event on Friday night ensured that Wang was in the leading position from the start gun. She led throughout the four-and-a-half lap race.

"Although I was confident about winning because I won the last four World Cup races, I did feel a little pressure," Wang said after the race.

"You know my opponents are very strong and they skated very fast and very well today. The finishing times were all in the 44-second region. I had to be very careful."

Fu Tianyu took the silver in 44.070.

The bronze went to Kalyna Roberge of Canada, who was timed 44.116.

In other events, Francois-Lousi Tremblay of Canada won the men's 500m gold medal in 41.439 seconds. Chinese Li Haonan took the silver in 41.639.

South Korea's Lee Ho-suk grabbed the bronze in 41.739, while compatriot Ahn Hyun-soo, who bagged three gold medals at the Torino Olympics, was disqualified.

China was ranked third in the medal tally with 2 golds and 6 silvers, behind table leaders South Korea with 5 golds, 3 silvers, 2 bronzes, and Canada with 3 golds, 2 silvers and 3 bronzes.

(Xinhua News Agency April 3, 2006)