China is pulling out all stops in its line up for the 2005 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships.

With a team including double Olympic gold medallist and world champion Yang Yang (A) and women's 500m world No 1 Wang Meng and veteran men's skater Li Jiajun, they are in with a strong medal chance.

The event will be held in Beijing from March 11 to 13th, when about 170 world top skaters from 33 countries and regions taking part in 500m, 1,000m, 1,500m, overall and relay race competitions.

The annual event is the top level one organized by International Skating Union (ISU) and the one in China is the most important tune-up ahead of the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics.

Therefore, all countries and regions are sending their biggest squads with star-studded line-ups, including the Olympic champion Ohno Apolo Anton of the United States, who scored a remarkable maximum of 200 points to top the men's final overall standing of 2004 World Cup, Turcotte Mathieu of Canada, who heads the men's rankings in 500m and is second overall.

Though South Korea have not submitted the players' list to the organizing committee yet, it is believed their big guns like Salt Lake City Olympic champion Choi Eun-kyung, 2004 world champion Ahn Hyun-soo, women's 1,500m skater Jin Sun-yu will show up.

China's women's team used to be one of the strongest in the short track rink, but their biggest rival South Korea are bound to be favourites in all five competitions.

"The women's competition is mainly a showdown between China and South Korea. Wang Meng has advantage in the 500m and we won all six stages in the 2004 World Cup," said Tong Lixin, head of the Skating Department of China Winter Sports Administration Centre.

"But we lost all stages at 1,000m and only won once in 1,500m, while in the relay race, we are neck and neck."

With 19-year-old Wang leading the final rankings of 500m and overall and Yang Yang (A) claiming a surprising third place overall in her comeback season, Tong believes China can win in 500m and relay race, but will have to work harder in the 1,500m and 1,000m.

(China Daily March 2, 2005)