Speed skater Li Jiajun delighted the Chinese crowd with a stunning upset, winning a bronze medal in the men's 1500m race, China's first medal in Turin.

Chinese speed skater Li Jiajun has delighted the Chinese crowd with a stunning upset, winning a bronze medal in the men's 1500-meter race, China's first medal in this Olympics.

The 31-year-old veteran skater, in his fourth and last Olympics, says he didn't even expect he could enter the final and has won the bronze through hard work.

He has admitted he was short of strength after racing too hard in the first two heats. But he says he will have no problem with the 500-meter and 1,000-meter races scheduled for this Saturday and next Wednesday. He says he will put forth his best effort.

Li jiajun is one of China's best short track speed skaters. His career-wide accolades include: four-time Olympic medalist, 16-time world championship medalist, and nine-time world champion. Li became the first Chinese man to win the overall short track world title in 1999, repeating the feat in 2001.

In women's races, China's Wang Meng and Fu Tianyu have entered Wednesday's 500-meter short track race final and the Chinese women's team has qualified for the 3000-meter relay final.

After the second day of Olympic competition, the United States, Germany, and Norway are the top three in the metals tally. China is now positioned in 14th place after Li Jiajun won the bronze.

On the third day, China hopes to win medals in three competitions: pairs' figure skating, men's 500-meter speed skating, and women's 15-kilometer biathlon. Pair's free skating will be a real test for three sets of Chinese skaters as the leading Russian duo, Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin, have a nearly 4-point advantage over Chinese favorites Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao after the short program. 22-year old Yu Fengtong is seeking his first gold medal in 500-meter speed skating.

Source: CRI News