Fu Chunyan, who's competing her first major international comprehensive event, took the first speed skating gold medal for China at the Harbin Universiade Saturday after clocking four minutes and 15.73 seconds in the women's 3,000 meters.
"It's an unexpected victory," said Fu after the race. "The 3,000 meters is a long distance event and the most important thing is constancy. Since my start is not so good, the long-course events have been my weakness."
The 22-year-old kept a distant lead more than half a lap ahead of her racing partner Shoko Fujimura of Japan since half way but fell into the sofa crawl around the track after an exhausting sprint in the final lap.
It has been Fu's personal best as her previous best result is around four minutes and 16 seconds earned in this season's Heerenveen World Cup.
Fu is also the first universiade champion of China in the women's 3,000m.
"My coach has helped me a lot, especially on the power. Now it's just the beginning and we'll move on together for further achievement," she said, referring to Sijtle van der Lende, a Dutchwoman invited mid of last year to coach the Chinese national team.
Fu's teammate Dong Feifei, the silver medalist of the 1,500 meters on Friday, again stepped on the podium after finishing second on the general standings with a time of 4:16.33, while Poland's Luiza Zlotkowska settled for the bronze on 4:18.03.
"I didn't expect it," said Zlotkowska. "I'm very happy since my bronze is the first medal for Poland in women's events."
South Korea's Lee Ju Youn slipped to the fourth after timing 4:18.92 for the seven and a half laps long distance race though the short-course specialist led all the timings right after she start but hardly stumbled with just two laps to go.
Another Chinese Ji Jia placed a disappointing seventh after making a weak start and finishing in 4:20.15.
The 1-2 finish on podium, however, has been the best result ever in the discipline for China, which only pocketed a bronze medal by Ren Hui two years ago in Turin.
"I'd just expected a medal," said Van der Lende. "A gold medal plus a silver are definitely beyong my expectation. It's the best results for the team. All my skaters have performed excellently."
(Xinhua News Agency February 21, 2009)