by sportswriters Yue Wenwan, Wang Jingyu and Zhang Xinwen
MILAN, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- When Chinese speed skater Ning Zhongyan crossed the finish line in one minute 41.98 seconds on Thursday, a new Olympic record in the men's 1,500m flashed onto the scoreboard. Instead of celebrating, he sat down at the edge of the rink, eyes fixed on the track.
His gaze followed the remaining skaters, especially American star Jordan Stolz, the man he had chased for nearly four years and the skater he always called "a mountain."
Sweat streamed down Ning's face. His fists clenched. His breathing was heavy, his expression taut.
When he saw Stolz finish in 1:42.75, the 26-year-old Chinese skater burst into tears and jumped for joy.
It was not only the release after securing China's first-ever Olympic gold in the distance, but also the golden moment when he finally climbed over the "mountain".
"He (Jordan Stolz) has been unstoppable over the past four years. I always saw him as a mountain, and I had never get past him," Ning said. "But today in the Olympic Games, I finally crossed that mountain. The view from the top is incredible."
UNEXPECTED GOLD
The men's 1,500 meters is often called the "King's Race" of long-track speed skating, demanding a rare blend of explosive speed and sustained endurance. The event has long been dominated by European and North American skaters.
Tension gripped the arena even before Ning stepped onto the ice.
Dutch skater Joep Wennemars had just broken the Olympic record with a time of 1:43.05. Moments later, Ning, skating in the 13th pair alongside world-record holder Kjeld Nuis, launched his own bid.
Through the opening 700 meters, Nuis held a slight edge, while Ning stayed patient, building momentum lap by lap.
Ning crossed the line in 1:41.98 - slicing 1.07 seconds off the record that had been set only minutes earlier.
"There was quite some tension after my finish. Ning was the great winner today. I couldn't reach his level," Nuis said. "Especially after 700m, my tank was empty. He finished off. It was amazing."
But the final verdict awaited the last pair.
Stolz, the world No. 1, had swept all five World Cup 1,500-meter races this season and already claimed gold in the 500 and 1,000 at these Games. A third gold seemed inevitable. But the American finished second with 1:42.75.
When Ning realized the gold belonged to him, emotion overwhelmed him. Draped in the Chinese flag, he skated slowly around the rink, tears streaking down his face, as spectators rose to applaud.
"This result is extremely, extremely satisfying for me," Ning said. "My goal was to break 1:43, but I never imagined I could skate into the 1:42 range. This victory was totally unexpected."
Since the first Winter Olympics in 1924, no Asian athlete had ever won gold in the men's Olympic 1,500 meters until now.
Stolz embraced and congratulated Ning after the race.
"I thought I could probably beat it (Ning's time), but when I saw the first split with 25.4, then I was attacking as hard as I could," Stolz said after the race. "I thought it was going to be close, but he was just better."
"I'm happy he was able to get it. He tries really hard. He's always trying to be on the podium, and now he was able to win, so that's super cool for him," he added.
Ning's coach, Johan De Wit, who had mapped out the race strategy for him, also watched in surprise.
"We knew Nuis would start very fast, so I told Ning to stay calm, stay good skating, because the most important part would be the second lap," De Wit said. "And it went exactly like that. I've never seen such a good race."
"I didn't expect it," he added. "It's unbelievable. This was the best I've ever seen."
LONG JOURNEY TO THE GOLD
The tears on Olympic ice carried the weight of four hard years.
At the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, Ning competed in three events - the 1,000m, 1,500m and mass start - but failed to reach the podium in any of them. The disappointment cut deep.
"The pressure I put on myself back then was enormous," Ning recalled. "I truly had the ability to win a medal, but I still ended up with regrets."
Yet the setback became a turning point.
"However, if I had won a medal or gold in Beijing, I don't think I would have reached where I am today," Ning said. "I was only 22 back then. If I had achieved that at home, my life might not have gone through so many meaningful experiences. I might have lost myself."
In 2023, Ning started to train with Dutch coach De Wit. The move reshaped his career and his mindset.
"My change has been huge," Ning said. "Now I know what I need every day - how to train, what to eat, how to think about each movement. In the past, I simply followed instructions, and I didn't really understand why."
"These years taught me to settle down, absorb experience, and learn how top athletes train and maintain peak condition."
To prepare for the Milan-Cortina Games, Ning even spent more than a year away from home, rarely seeing his family and friends.
"It is very hard," De Wit said. "Ning is in an international team. He is not training in China, so he misses his friends and family for a long time. That's tough for him."
Yet the separation also created space for focus.
"On the other hand, he knows he is in a good team, with good teammates, good staff and good people around him," De Wit said. "Here, he can really focus on speed skating and not on traveling here, going there, and dealing with everything else. He can train. He can focus."
In the mixed zone, recalling his long absence from home, Ning turned away and quietly wiped his tears, but he never regretted his choice.
"I'm extremely grateful to De Wit," Ning said. "At the most confusing moment of my life, when I had no direction, he had me into his team. That belief and encouragement changed everything."
"We don't even need many words during training. We trust each other completely. That's a key reason I succeeded."
The transformation soon became evident. At these Games, Ning also won bronze in the men's 1,000 and team pursuit. He grabbed three medals in the three events he has participated in so far, making a historic breakthrough for Chinese speed skating.
"For me, all the paths I've walked, all the sweat and tears I've shed in more than 10 years of skating - this moment makes it all worthwhile," Ning said. ■
