Wu Dajing of China during the short track speed skating mixed team relay competition at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing on February 5, 2022. (Photo: People’s Daily)

Team China has won its first gold medal at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, in the mixed team relay at short track speed skating in the event’s Olympic debut on Saturday.

China’s powerful quartet, comprised of skaters Fan Kexin, Qu Chunyu, Ren Ziwei and Wu Dajing, timed two minutes and 37.348 seconds in the race against Canada, Italy and Hungary, wowing spectators on home ice as they raced the 2,000 meters distance around the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing.

China’s short track speed skaters celebrate claiming the country’s first gold medals at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics after they won the mixed team relay at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing on February 5, 2022. (Photo: People’s Daily)

Olympic gold medalist Wu Dajing was the first to cross the finish line, edging Italy’s Pietro Sighel by .016 seconds. That’s half a skate blade. Italy took the silver and Hungary bagged the bronze.

China was the favorite going into the race, having won two of the four short track mixed team relay World Cup events this season.