China’s Ning Zhongyan won gold in the men’s 1500m speed skating at Milano Cortina 2026, breaking the Olympic record with a time of 1:41.98.
China’s Ning Zhongyan surged to victory in the men’s 1500m speed skating event, breaking the Olympic record with a time of 1:41.98 to claim China’s third gold medal at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
Skating in the same pair as defending champion Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands, Ning accelerated in the final laps to overtake his rival and cross the finish line first.
Pre-race favourite Jordan Stolz of the United States took silver in 1:42.75, while Nuis secured bronze in 1:42.82.
Record Broken — Twice
Earlier in the competition, Dutch skater Joep Wennemars, racing in the 11th pair, had broken the Olympic record with a time of 1:43.05, surpassing the previous mark held by his teammate Nuis.
However, in the 13th pair, Ning responded emphatically. Starting in the inner lane alongside Nuis, he pushed aggressively through the opening over the next two laps and delivered a powerful finish. His time of 1:41.98 rewrote the Olympic record once again.
Breaking Through the “Mountain”
“I have skated like this in training. Recently, my form has been very good,” Ning told reporters. He said he and his Dutch coach had carefully studied race tactics and decided to go all out in the first two laps, knowing that starting in the inner lane left little room for hesitation.
Reflecting on his journey, Ning said the level of global competition had risen sharply after the Beijing Winter Olympics. He described feeling as if there were “a mountain” in front of him that he could not overcome.
“But I never stopped believing in myself,” he said. “I stayed patient and kept working, trusting that all the effort would add up one day. Today was that day.”
Even now, he admitted, the victory still feels a little unreal.
Ning not only overcame his own “mountain” but also delivered a historic breakthrough for Asian speed skating. Since the inaugural Winter Olympics in 1924, he is the first Asian athlete to win Olympic gold in the men’s 1500m.
The gold marked Ning’s third medal at these Games and his first Olympic title. Earlier, he had won bronze in the 1000m and team pursuit.
“I hope speed skating continues to grow stronger,” Ning said. “And I hope our team can bring even more surprises in the future.”
Written by Ronnie Yu; additional reporting by CNS and olympics.com.
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