MILAN, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Stepping back onto the ice after a nightmare injury gave her a clearer understanding of why she wanted to skate - out of a pure love for the sport, Chinese speed skater Yang Binyu told Xinhua on Saturday.
Yang made her Olympic debut in the women's 3,000m speed skating event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games on Saturday, finishing 17th with a time of four minutes and 7.62 seconds, which bettered her gold-medal performance at last year's Asian Winter Games in Harbin.
"The first experience at the Olympics is a valuable learning opportunity," Yang said, adding that it would motivate her to continue improving and to try surpassing more European skaters in the future.
As the first Chinese speed skater to have stepped onto the Milan ice, Yang, however, didn't feel overly stressed. "Pressure is motivation. It's like telling myself to keep fighting. What I focus on all the time is executing my own strategy," she said.
Few people know that three years ago, just as she was fully focused on preparing for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, a sudden accident nearly forced her to bid farewell to the ice.
In July 2023, Yang suffered a serious brain injury during a cycling training session, which left her in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for several days and later required a solitary recovery in the hospital.
Surprisingly, she returned to the ice two months later, shocking her teammates with a near-miraculous recovery.
"I spent a long time lying in bed, unable to use my phone or communicate much with the outside world. I was truly alone with myself," she recalled.
However, this period allowed her to reflect on life, death and her profession, and she realized that she was eager to skate simply because she loves it.
"I realized that results, opinions or even rewards don't really matter. What matters is that I love it. As long as I am alive, returning to the oval is meaningful simply because I want to skate, not because of anything else," she said.
After being transferred to a regular hospital ward, and once she was able to sit up, Yang pushed herself to try standing. Once she could stand, she worked on squats, gradually regaining her strength.
"Every day in hospital, I kept thinking about when I could return to training on the ice, because I truly love this sport," she said. This determination became her greatest motivation.
In early 2024, after nearly six months of recovery, Yang achieved a personal best in 3,000 meters at the U.S. stop of the World Cup. Her return with improved performance reignited her confidence and passion for speed skating.
She explained the reason for her deep love of skating with body language, demonstrating the movement of her legs from front to back. "I just love the motion itself, and the feeling of my legs moving like this," she said.
Some people feel that speed skating is boring because skaters compete separately, but Yang disagrees: "If you ever try it yourself, you'll realize it feels a lot like cycling: a contest between you and the wind, between you and your own sensations."
"It's actually a very interesting and engaging experience: the movement itself, the pursuit of skating faster and the feeling of constantly pushing your own limits," she added.
"The vibes on the oval today were amazing, and every seat was taken. The audience showed their passion," she shared with her first impression of the Olympic arena. "I told myself to stay calm and focus on my own competition."
The athlete, who enjoys skating for herself, didn't take to the ice early during warm-ups, instead opting to exercise quietly at the back of the oval.
After the race, she showed up wearing a cat ear-shaped hairband, saying it represented her affection for her two furry friends and that she hoped it would bring her luck in upcoming competitions.
"I will do my best in the next sessions. My goal is to skate with style, skate with spirit and just skate as myself," she said. ■
