Brussels, 13/02/2002
Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo (CHN) who finished first at the 1997 Winter Universiade in Muju-Chonju, Korea have won the Olympic bronze medal in the pairs free skating competition. Their compatriots Pang Qing and Tong Jian, who won the silver at the 1999 Winter Universiade in Poprad Tatry, Slovakia, finished 9th in the Olympic competition. Russian skater Maria Petrova who won the silver medal in the 1997 WU, teamed up with another partner and finished 6th in these Olympics.
Speed Skating
Two more Olympic medals for former Universiade athletes! Renate Groenewold (NED), who won the gold medal in the speed skating ladies 3,000m at the 1997 Winter Universiade in Muju-Chonju, Korea clocking a 4:30.14, raced to the silver in Salt Lake City in a 3:58.94.
Her fellow countryman Jochem Uytdehaage, who finished 19th in the men’s 5,000m at the 1997 WU with a 7:54.43, won the Olympic gold medal in 6:14.66. Another compatriot of theirs, Carl Verheijen, who got the gold medal at the 1997 WU (7:13.40), ended 6th in Salt Lake City clocking a 6:24.71.
Silver medallist in the men’s 500m speed skating at the 1997 WU, Lee Kyu-Hyuk (KOR) (75.98) reached 5th place in 500m of these Olympics.
