🇨🇳 Zhao Dan Shines at IBSF World Cup, Makes Skeleton History for China 🏆
On a thrilling Saturday in Yanqing, Beijing, 21-year-old Zhao Dan carved her name into the history books by clinching China's first-ever gold medal in the women's skeleton at the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) World Cup. 🎉
Dominating both heats, Zhao flew down the icy track with a combined time of 2:04.27. She left the competition in her wake, finishing 0.37 seconds ahead of Germany's Hannah Neise, the reigning Olympic champion from the 2022 Beijing Winter Games. Britain's Freya Tarbit slid into bronze with a time of 2:04.68.
Reflecting on her monumental win, Zhao beamed, \"I finally realized my dream at home. Our whole team made great progress in recent years, and I performed my best today and felt delighted to win the gold. I need to keep focused and try my best in the following events overseas.\" 💪
This victory is even sweeter considering Zhao's close call last season, where she snagged a silver at the same event, missing gold by a mere 0.02 seconds to Germany's Tina Hermann.
Meanwhile, in the men's skeleton, Germany's Christopher Grotheer repeated his Olympic success, taking gold with a time of 2:01.93. Britain's Matt Weston was hot on his heels, just 0.01 seconds behind. China's own Yin Zheng grabbed the bronze, adding to the host nation's celebration. 🥉
This historic win isn't just a personal triumph for Zhao but a monumental moment for winter sports in China. With the youth leading the charge, the future looks icy cool for China's sliding sports scene! ❄️✨
Reference(s):
Zhao Dan wins China's first women's skeleton gold at IBSF World Cup
cgtn.com
