China

Wang Meng hints fallout with coach

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-01-30 08:31

CHANGCHUN, Northeast China - Chinese Olympic champion Wang Meng made some remarks on Monday and immediately aroused suspicions that there might be conflicts between her and her coach.

Wang Meng (second) competes in the women's 1500m short track speed skating at the 6th Asian Winter Games in Changchun of China. [Xinhua]

"I want to train in the provincial team after the Games," said Wang Meng, the 500m short track speed skating titlist at the Turin Olympic.

The 24-year-old Wang made the remarks after she was beaten to the third place by her South Korean opponents in the 1,500m event at the 6th Asian Winter Games on Monday.

For a Chinese athlete, joining the national team is often their only access to world-level competition, hence the opportunity of a successful sporting career.

"She is having conflicts with the head coach," a former Chinese national team coach said.

Chinese national team head coach Li Yan took over the reins five months ago after accepting a four-year contract from the Chinese Skating Association.

Li, 38, became known to the Chinese after she took American Apolo Anton Ohno to the men's 500m short track speed skating gold in Turin Olympics in 2006.

"She has some new ideas about the team and she wants to bring new things to the Chinese team. I think that might be the reason why she conflicted with some skaters," said a former Chinese skater who asked not to be named.