ITALY: OLYMPIC GAMES - Chinese Olympic figure skating team gathere on GE Ice Plaza to receive honours from city of Turin for outstanding performance

Record ID: 331835

  • Title: ITALY: OLYMPIC GAMES - Chinese Olympic figure skating team gathere on GE Ice Plaza to receive honours from city of Turin for outstanding performance
  • Date: 26th February 2006
  • Summary: TURIN, ITALY (FEBRUARY 25, 2006)(REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CHINESE FIGURE SKATERS TAKING PHOTOS VARIOUS OF CHINESE OLYMPIC FIGURE SKATING COACH YAO BIN RECEIVING SPONSOR'S GE AWARD VARIOUS OF CHINESE ATHLETES ON OPEN AIR ICE SKATING RING IN CENTRE OF TURIN COACH YAO BIN RECEIVING TURIN CITY FLAG (2 SHOTS) CHINESE TEAM POSING FOR STILL PHOTO PEOPLE DRESSED AS WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES MASCOTS "NEVE" AND "GLIZ" ENTERING ICE SKATING RING CHINESE TEAM POSING FOR PHOTOS WITH "NEVE" AND "GLIZ" (SOUNDBITE)(Mandarine)CHINESE OLYMPIC FIGURE SKATING COACH YAO BIN, SAYING, "We won with the help of Olympic spirit." VARIOUS CHILDREN WITH OLYMPIC MASCOTS "NEVE" AND "GLIZ" (2 SHOTS)
  • Embargoed: 13th March 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAF8KHAH53U39FG3HNAYFW9EGF
  • Story Text: The Chinese Olympic figure skating team gathered on Saturday (February 25) on GE Ice Plaza to celebrate the achievements of the team and their coach Yao Bin during the games in Turin.
    Yao Bin become famous in Turin by coaching all three Chinese Olympic figure skating teams.
    Yao Bin was given an award by GE, the official sponsor of Chinese national figure skating team and the Chinese team were given a flag of the city of Turin as an honour for "their outstanding performance".
    China's twice world figure skating champions Zhao Hongbo and Shen Xue are one of three Chinese pairs, along with Pang Qing and Tong Jian, and Zhang Hao and Zhang Dan, who all set out to challenge Russian dominance of the pairs Olympic gold.
    Zhang Dan has become famous after she picking herself up off the ice after a crashing fall and continuing to skate to second place with her partner.
    Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo, who tore his Achilles tendon six months ago, managed bronze and China also won fourth place.
    Figure skating training only takes place in two of China's provinces and the three pairs competing in Turin all work at the Harbin skating club near the northeastern border with Russia.
    Winter sports are relatively new in China where the number of rinks and coaches is still tiny given their billion-plus population. Senior officials are determined to change that and build China into the kind of sporting Goliath they are at the Summer Games. They have already shown they are making progress at Turin. ENDS
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