China: Vancouver Outlook

Wang Meng could dominate the short track in Vancouver.

China has won 33 Olympic Winter Games medals and 20 of those have come from short track speed skating. For 2010, the Chinese should be dominant in women's short track. Wang Meng could win gold in every women's event in Vancouver. At the 2009 Worlds, Wang won individual gold in both the 500m and 1000m events and helped lead China to victory in the relay. She crossed the finish line first in the 1500m, but was disqualified by the judges for impeding another skater. She hails from the Chinese winter sports mecca, Harbin, a city located about 260 miles north of the North Korean border and 260 miles south of the Russian border. Wang's stiffest Olympic competition for gold is likely to come from South Korea. If Wang falters, teammate Zhou Yang is likely to pick up the slack.

Vancouver will be Li Nina's third Olympics.

Freestyle skiing - particularly aerials - is another strength for the Chinese. Han Xiaopeng won men's aerials gold in Torino, the first Olympic gold medal ever on snow for China, and the first time a Chinese male athlete won gold at an Olympic Winter Games. The Chinese women's aerials team is deep - its goal is to sweep the medals. The squad is led by Li Nina, who won silver in Torino and has been dominant on the World Cup circuit, having already won a handful of podium finishes in 2010.

China is strong in speed skating's sprint events. Wang Beixing was second in the women's 500m event at the 2009 Single Distance Worlds, which were held at the Richmond Olympic Oval. China's Yu Fengtong was also second in the men's 500m.

Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo retired in 2007 and were married shortly after. But, the duo has impressed since returning to competition in late October of 2009.

In figure skating, China has three pairs that can all finish in the top five, as they did in Torino, where the Chinese finished second, third and fourth. The Chinese hopes are fueled by the comeback of 2002 and 2006 Olympic bronze medalists Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo. The Chinese also have legitimate medal contenders in Pang Qing and Tong Jiang and 2006 Olympic silver medalists Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao. Between the three pairs, they have 14 world medals: four golds, seven silvers and three bronzes.

China has improved in curling in recent years. The women's rink, skipped by Wang Bingyu, won the 2009 World Championship. The men, led by Wang Fengchun, were ninth at the 2009 Worlds but finished fourth in the 2008 event.

Liu Jiayu, a 17-year-old women's halfpiper, is the reigning world champion and is a legitimate threat to the American hegemony in the event.