Wang Meng (speed skater)

Wang Meng

Personal information
Born	(1985-04-10) April 10, 1985 (age 31) Qitaihe, Heilongjiang, China
Height	1.67 m (5 ft 5 1⁄2 in)
Weight	58 kg (128 lb; 9.1 st)
World Cup wins	2004 Overall 2008 Overall 2009 Overall
World championship wins	2008 Overall 2009 Overall 2013 Overall
Sport
Country	China
Sport	Speed skating
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	500 m: 42.597 (2013) 1000 m: 1:29.213 (2010) 1500 m: 2:20.876 (2005) 3000 m: 5:11.515(2004)
Medal record Women’s short-track speed skating Representing  China Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 4 1 1 World Championships 18 10 3 World Team Championships 3 4 0 Asian Games 2 2 1 Olympic Games 2006 Turin 500 m 2010 Vancouver 500 m 2010 Vancouver 1000 m 2010 Vancouver 3000 m relay 2006 Turin 1000 m 2006 Turin 1500 m World Championships 2003 Warsaw 3000 m relay 2004 Gothenburg 500 m 2006 Minneapolis 500 m 2006 Minneapolis 3000 m relay 2008 Gangneung Overall 2008 Gangneung 500 m 2008 Gangneung 1000 m 2008 Gangneung 1500 m 2009 Vienna Overall 2009 Vienna 500 m 2009 Vienna 1000 m 2009 Vienna 3000 m relay 2010 Sofia 500 m 2010 Sofia 1000 m 2013 Debrecen Overall 2013 Debrecen 500 m 2013 Debrecen 1000 m 2013 Debrecen 3000 m relay 2004 Gothenburg Overall 2004 Gothenburg 1500 m 2004 Gothenburg 3000 m relay 2005 Beijing 500 m 2005 Beijing 3000 m relay 2006 Minneapolis Overall 2006 Minneapolis 1000 m 2006 Minneapolis 1500 m 2006 Minneapolis 3000 m 2010 Sofia Overall 2005 Beijing 1000 m 2005 Beijing 1500 m 2008 Gangneung 3000 m relay World Team Championships 2005 Chuncheon Team 2008 Harbin Team 2009 Heerenveen Team 2003 Sofia Team 2004 St. Petersburg Team 2005 Chuncheon Team 2006 Montréal Team World Junior Championships 2002 Chuncheon 500 m 2002 Chuncheon Overall 2002 Chuncheon 1500 m 2002 Chuncheon 2000 m relay Asian Winter Games 2007 Changchun 500 m 2007 Changchun 3000 m relay 2003 Aomori 500 m 2007 Changchun 1000 m 2007 Changchun 1500 m

Wang Meng (Chinese: 王濛; pinyin: Wáng Méng; born April 10, 1985 in Qitaihe, Heilongjiang) is a Chinese short track speed skater. She is a four-time Olympic Champion and 2008 and 2009 Overall World Champion. She is the most decorated Chinese Winter Olympic athlete ever with four Olympic gold medals, a silver and a bronze. Wang won gold in the 500 m event, silver in the 1000 m and bronze in the 1500 m event at the 2006 Winter Olympics. She won 500 m and 1000 m gold medals at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and added a third gold medal in the 3000 m relay with the China team. She also holds the world and Olympic records in the 500 m distance and the 3000 m relay. Wang has also won 18 gold medals at the World Championships. She is one of the most decorated short track speed skaters of all time.

Wang Meng started short track speed skating in 1994, when she was nine. In 1998 she entered Heilongjiang Provincial Sports School, which is affiliated of Harbin Institute of Physical Education. She graduated from Harbin Institute of Physical Education.

Wang was considered a strong contender for all short track speed skating events at the 2010 Winter Olympics. She won the gold medal in the 500 m event in which she had previously been dominant and was considered to be the favorite to win. She set three Olympic records in the 500 m heats, while in the finals she led from start to finish accumulating a huge lead ahead of all other competitors. In the 1,500 m race, she failed to finish after having lost her footing and crashing into the barricades. However, she came back to win the 3,000 m relay with the Chinese team and the 1,000 m solo race. She ended up snatching three gold medals, which makes her the most successful Winter Olympian ever for China.

On 24 July 2011, Wang Meng had a physical conflict with the team manager Wang Chunlu at the hotel in the Qingdao training camp. In the scuffle her arm was injured and she had to be taken to a hospital. There was a lot of speculation in the media as to what had really happened, but both sides involved provided very different stories, which makes the truth unclear to this day.

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