Wang Chunlu (Chinese: 王春露; pinyin: Wáng Chūnlù, born 27 September 1978 in Changchun, China) is a Chinese short track speed skater.[1] She won medals in the 500 m and 3000 m relay at the 2002 Winter Olympics. She had also already won a relay silver medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics, at the age of 19.

Wang Chunlu
Medal record
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 0 2 1
World Championships 10 8 1
World Team Championships 4 3 0
Women's short track speed skating
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1998 Nagano 3000 m relay
Silver medal – second place 2002 Salt Lake City 3000 m relay
Bronze medal – third place 2002 Salt Lake City 500 m
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1995 Gjøvik 500 m
Gold medal – first place 1995 Gjøvik 1000 m
Gold medal – first place 1995 Gjøvik 3000 m relay
Gold medal – first place 1998 Vienna 500 m
Gold medal – first place 1998 Vienna 3000 m relay
Gold medal – first place 1999 Sofia 3000 m relay
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sheffield 3000 m relay
Gold medal – first place 2001 Jeonju 500 m
Gold medal – first place 2001 Jeonju 3000 m relay
Gold medal – first place 2003 Warsaw 3000 m relay
Silver medal – second place 1995 Gjøvik Overall
Silver medal – second place 1996 The Hague 3000 m relay
Silver medal – second place 1998 Vienna 1500 m
Silver medal – second place 2001 Jeonju Overall
Silver medal – second place 2001 Jeonju 1000 m
Silver medal – second place 2001 Jeonju 3000 m
Silver medal – second place 2002 Montréal 3000 m relay
Bronze medal – third place 1995 Gjovik 1500 m
Bronze medal – third place 1998 Vienna Overall
World Team Championships
Gold medal – first place 1998 Bormio Team
Gold medal – first place 1999 St. Louis Team
Gold medal – first place 2000 The Hague Team
Gold medal – first place 2001 Nobeyama Team
Silver medal – second place 1995 Zoetermeer Team
Silver medal – second place 2002 Milwaukee Team
Silver medal – second place 2003 Sofia Team
Asian Winter Games
Gold medal – first place 1996 Harbin 500 m
Gold medal – first place 1996 Harbin 3000 m relay

Her strongest event by far was always the 500 metres, where she won 3 world titles- 1995, 1998, and 2001. In addition to her Olympic bronze in 2002, she was also leading the final and on her way to a likely gold medal in 1998 before a dangerous and poorly executed passing attempt by Isabelle Charest unfortunately led to Charest and Wang both falling. Distraught Wang, despite not being injured, refused to complete her 5 laps, and ceded the bronze medal to Chun Lee Kyung, the winner of the B final. Her strong start and strength on high speed corners are what made the 500 metres Wang's strongest event.

Surprisingly her best major meet performance was at the 1995 World Championships at only 16, where as a relative newcomer she won gold in the 500 meters and 1000 metres, and a bronze in the 1500 metres. Despite this she was narrowly defeated for the Overall points title by Chun Lee Kyung, taking silver overall. She also won silver overall at the 2001 World Championships, and a bronze overall at the 1998 World Championships. She competed in what is perhaps still to this day the strongest era ever in Chinese short track speed skating from 94-2002 due to its depth of established stars such as Wang, both Yang Yang's (the one born in 1976 and the one born in 1977), Zhang Yanmei, and Li Yan.

References

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  1. ^ "中国冰雪人物风采 王春露:"冰雪基因"融入骨血". xw.qq.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 22 January 2021.
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