Short track skating star Wang Meng is planning to put the skids under archrivals South Korea at the upcoming Winter Asian Games, to ensure she is in pole position at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Wang Meng from China celebrates her woman's 500 metres short track speed skating final victory at the Torino 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, February 15, 2006.[Reuters]

"The Asian Winter Games is good practice for Vancouver," said Wang, who won the 500m gold medal at the Turin Winter Olympic Games last year.

Olympic champion Wang Meng (front) is expected to lead China's short track team in the battle for gold medals against archrivals South Korea at the coming Winter Asian Games in Changchun, northeast China. Reuters

"I'd only call it a successful practice if I beat the Koreans and win gold.

"I'm fully confident in the 500m race, but in the other events the Koreans are stronger than us," she added.

Wang admitted that her form has dipped while she has tried to adapt to new coach Li Yan.

"I have not accustomed myself to the new coach," said Wang. "I will try to adjust during the Games."

After the Turin Games, Li, the former coach of the US short track speed skating team, was invited back to China to train the Chinese team.

Over the last nine months Li has led the young Chinese team to four stops of the ISU Short Track Speed Skating World Cup, but he admitted that the Asian Games is a different challenge.

"At the Asian Games, we have to face the South Koreans alone, without other European and American contenders, which will be even more difficult," said Li. "We will try to do our best, ensuring victory at the short distances and striving for good results in the other events."

South Korea will send their strongest team to Changchun, including Olympic gold medalists Jin Sun-yu and Ahn Hyun-Soo.

Like the short track skaters, the speed skating team will also be looking for medals on home ice by beating archrivals South Korea, and Japan.

"Japan will be the biggest threat to the Chinese team, especially in long distance events," said Xiao Hanzhang, head coach of the Chinese speed skating team.

With five gold medals, the Japanese team, headed by Tabata Maki and Hirako Hiroki, became the biggest winners in the Asian Regional Qualifying Competition for the ISU World All-Round Speed Skating Championships 2007 earlier this month.

The Chinese team won just three gold medals in the qualifying competitions.

"However, that event was just a beginning," said Xiao. "The real competition will be at the Asian Winter Games."

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