BEIJING, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's Olympic champion Ning Zhongyan claimed his second gold medal of the season-opening ISU Speed Skating World Cup in Beijing on Saturday, triumphing in the men's 1,500m after compatriot Lian Ziwen secured his maiden World Cup title in the men's 500m.
Fresh from his 1,000m victory on Friday, Ning dominated his signature event, clocking 1 minute 43.64 seconds to take the title in front of an enthusiastic home crowd at the National Speed Skating Oval. Norway's Sander Eitrem finished second, 1.18 seconds behind, while Friday's 5,000m winner Metodej Jilek of Czechia placed third, a further 0.08 seconds back.
"Winning the 1,500m gold today was something I had expected, so I approached the race in a relatively calm manner," Ning said.
"Winning the 1,000m gave my confidence a huge boost. When I stepped onto the ice for today's 1,500m race, I felt as if everyone was watching me, almost as the rink belonged to me. That sense of confidence is quite different from what I had before," the Olympic champion added.
With the 1,500m marking his final race in Beijing, Ning has turned his attention to a potential showdown with two-time Olympic gold medalist Jordan Stolz, who had repeatedly beaten him on the World Cup circuit last season before Ning turned the tables at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
"I've heard that Jordan will compete at the next World Cup stop, so I'm looking forward to racing against him again," Ning said.
Earlier on Saturday, Lian sprinted to victory in the men's 500m in 34.64 seconds, edging the Netherlands' Stefan Westenbroek by 0.07 seconds. China's 2022 Olympic champion Gao Tingyu completed the podium in 34.80.
After claiming his first individual World Cup medal, a bronze in Friday's 1,000m, Lian had said: "For me, this is just a beginning. Things will only get better from here."
On Saturday, he followed through on those words with a maiden World Cup victory.
"I think I did quite well today. It was a pleasant surprise for me, as I didn't think too much before taking to the ice. I just wanted to execute what I had been practicing," Lian said.
Returning to the venue where he became China's first male Olympic speed skating champion four years ago, Gao said the bronze medal exceeded his expectations, as he felt he was only at 60 percent of his peak form.
"I think the home advantage played a part. Competing at home probably puts me in a better frame of mind and makes me feel happier," he said.
In the women's 1,500m, Norway's Ragne Wiklund added another gold to her 3,000m title from Friday, winning in 1:53.84. The Netherlands' Joy Beune finished second in 1:55.16, while China's Han Mei took third in 1:56.40.
Angel Daleman also secured her second gold in Beijing, leading a Dutch sweep of the women's 500m podium. The world junior champion clocked 37.37 seconds, ahead of reigning world champion Femke Kok (37.49) and world silver medalist Suzanne Schulting (37.70).
"I'm still a bit shocked. It feels like I haven't quite processed everything yet. I'm really happy, of course, but a lot has happened in just two days, so I think I need some time to process it," said Daleman, who won three gold medals at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games.
The World Cup concludes on Sunday, with the men's and women's team pursuit, 500m and mass start events on the program. ■
