With three skaters competing in the women's 500m at the Turin Winter Olympics, Canada appeared confident in bringing medals back home.

"We are the only country to have three women in the 500m, and we don't have two in the same semifinal. It makes our chances very strong," Canadian speed skater Anouk Leblang-Boucher said at a press conference Tuesday.

At the previous Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City 2002, women's short track speed skating events were dominated by the Chinese and South Korean, while the Canadian women managed to clinch one bronze in the 3,000m relay.

"The women's team are doing really well. We have been training with the men's team. We have got more speed. The medal (gold) is there for the first time. We are five girls in the team, all equally strong," Leblang-Boucher said. "I am not here as a practice first Olympics. I'm going for it in the 500m."

Olympic hopeful Kalyna Roberge will also skate for a medal. Roberge, who will make her debut at the upcoming Olympics, has won bronze at the last three World Cups.

At the 2002 winter Olympics, Canada ended up with two golds, one silver and three bronzes in the short track events, most of which were from the men's events.

Canadian skaters believe that they are much stronger than they were four years ago.

"I think we are better individually. We have more individual medal chances. The relay team is just as good. We are fast. We have all improved in four years," said Mathieu Turcottee, bronze medalist in the 1,000m in Salt Lake City.

Turcottee and his teammates defeated Italy, China and the United States four years ago, winning the gold medal in the men's 5,000m relay.

"We expect gold for the relay (in Turin Olympics), that is what we race for," he said, adding that he also hoped to win an individual medal in the 1,500m.

"Five or six medals for short track, that would be awesome. I think it will be possible but no easy," the Olympic veteran said of the medal chances within the Canadian team.

On his team's major rivals, Turcottee said he thought that South Korea is one of Canada's toughest competitors and China, which is also there, is not as strong.

The short track speed skating events of the 2006 Winter Olympics are scheduled to start from Feb. 12 in Turin.

Source: Xinhua