China

Speed skating team gets a real beating

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2011-06-07 15:08

China's top short track speed skaters were beaten and kicked in an attack following a training session in Yunnan of Southwest China.

Team members confirmed the attack by posting information and photographs on their micro blogs.

A screen grab of Wang Meng's micro-blog at http://t.qq.com/wangmeng. The words read "My team was beaten in Lijiang. Is there any justice in China?"

"My team was beaten in Lijiang. Is there any justice in China?" Wang Meng, captain of China's women's team and multi-Winter Olympic champion posted around 3 am.

Wang said the team was on their way back to their hotel after supper when attacked by a group they suspected to be guards or policemen. Some team members sustained injuries and were sent to hospital.

Wang's teammate Zhou Yang, also an Olympic champion, uploaded photos of one injured team member on a stretcher in hospital. She fumed about the "inhumanity" of the hospital.

Wang Chunlu, the team head claimed her skaters must have exaggerated the incident saying the injuries were not serious and no one is currently in hospital.

The local police had yet to comment, but will after "investigating and collecting evidence".