体坛英语新闻：Two-time world champion Fan aims high in absence of Wang

SOCHI, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Two-time short track speed skating women's 500m world champion Fan Kexin of China vowed on Tuesday to make good use of the opportunity to take part in her first Winter Olympic Games here in Sochi.

"It's my first Olympic Games. I have been unsure that I could come to Sochi until recently. Being given the opportunity, I will try all out to take it," said the 20-year-old Fan after the Chinese team's first training on ice Tuesday afternoon following their arrival one day before. "For me, taking part in the Olympic Games is a dream come true."

After the loss of quadruple Olympic gold medalist Wang Meng through a terrible injury in training on January 16, Fan and Liu Qiuhong remained as the China's medal hopefuls in the women's 500m, the event that the Chinese have dominated since the Salt Lake City Games in 2002.

"We will still fight hard, even with our captain injured. We have been preparing for the Olympic Games for a long time and our team stays united," added Fan, who was crowned in the women's 500m at the World Championships in 2011 and 2012. "I have been working hard in training and I will be very happy if I can perform as well as I do in the training."

Wang, a double Olympic gold medal winner in the women's 500m at the 2006 Turin Games and 2010 Vancouver Games, has given advice to her teammates while nursing her ankle injury in Beijing, according to Fan.

"She has been in touch with us and given us a lot of advice," Fan said. "Before we left for Sochi, she told us to fight bravely for our country and do as well as we can."

The heats of the women's 500m will kick off on Monday with the final scheduled for Feb. 14.

The Chinese women's team spearheaded by Wang Meng swept all the titles in four events, namely 500m, 1,000m, 1,500m and 3,000m relay, at the Vancouver Games four years ago.