Liang claims his 5th National short track title

Spotlights were on the country's Olympians and national teams' recruiters, as Liang Wenhao led Tuesday a gold-digging streak of the hosts at the 12th National Winter Games of China.

The 19-year-old Changchun native nailed down three more gold medals on Day 7 of the quadrennial multi-sports winter event, lifting trophies at the men's 3,000m, men's 5,000m relay and the men's all-around of short track speedskating.

Liang's gold collection thus piled to a total of five, with the previous titles from the men's 500m and 1,500m short track.

A former world champion and the youngest athlete in the Chinese delegation for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games, Liang left only the men's 1,000m top podium open to the Chinese Army PLA's Song Weilong, who clocked one minute and 33.770 seconds for the title.

On women's part, the gold medals on offer were splitted by national newcomers as four-time Olympic champion Wang Meng was banned following an internal drunken brawl and twice Olympic gold medalist Zhou Yang sat out citing physical problem.

The hosts Changchun team managed two golds from the women's short track with Zhang Qichao won the 1,000m and women's all-around, while Jilin claimed the women's 3,000m relay and the 3,000m individual through young skater Kong Xue.

In the Beidahu resort skiing field, Olympians Liu Zhongqing and Xu Mengtao dominated the freestyle aerials free events.

Liu, the Vancouver Olympic bronze medallist, scored 123.458 points from the first jump, trailing behind his national teammate and local favorite Qi Guangpu on 125.006, but rallied back with a match-high 127.153 from the second jump to win a gold for Daqing delegation with a narrow margin of 0.262 points.

"I am a little surprised to win the gold as young athletes like Qi and Zhou have all been very competitive and consistent recently. I think I am lucky today as I took my chance," said Liu.

Zhou Hang, 17, who won the men's compulsory event last Saturday, finished third for Qiqihar in 249.656.

The women's free title was claimed by the 21-year-old Xu Mengtao, who finished the six in Vancouver, as the athlete of Fushun team earned 214.13 points from her two perfect jumps to seal the victory for Fushun.

For the other two finals of skiing held on Tuesday, Changchun won the Nordic combined men's team while girls from Harbin finished 1-2 in the cross-country women's 10km event.