(Global Times): China’s Ning Zhongyan won the gold medal in the men’s 1,500 meters speed skating event at the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics on Thursday with a time of 1:41.98, breaking the Olympic record and securing China’s first-ever Winter Olympic gold medal in the event.
This was also the third gold medal won by the Chinese delegation at the Milan–Cortina Games. China currently sits 12th in the overall medal table of the Games.
Ning, who had already collected two bronze medals in the men’s 1,000m and team pursuit, said after the event that it was his most perfect race. “Winning China’s third gold medal on the third day of the Chinese New Year is both a New Year’s gift to myself and a gift to the whole nation. At this moment, I’m overwhelmed with joy. Four years of hard work and sweat have all been worth it,” Ning said.
Ning placed seventh in the 1,500m at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. He noted that his goal before the race was to break the 1:43 barrier and didn’t expect to go under 1:42. “I’ve been in very good form recently, but I didn’t expect to win the gold medal,” he said.
“After the Beijing Winter Olympics, the level in speed skating just kept getting higher and higher. It felt like there was a mountain in front of me, and no matter what I did, I just could not get past it,” he said.“When I finally got over that mountain, it felt like such a release. I am just so happy, and so grateful, that I made it,” he told the Xinhua News Agency
