Italy-Winter Olympics/Chinese Speed Skater
Milan, Italy - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Arch of Peace
FILE: Beijing, China - Dec 21, 2021 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
2. Interior of China's National Speed Skating Oval
3. Various of athletes training
Milan, Italy - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
4. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Ning Zhongyan, Chinese speed skater; Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games Speed Skating Men's 1500m gold medalist:
"After thinking over it, I was able to face it and realize that there's no need to burden myself with such pressure anymore. After all, it's already in the past. I can't change that reality, so I just chose to accept it."
FILE: Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, northeast China - Feb 7, 2025 (CCTV - No
5. Speed skaters training at ice rink
6. Ning training
Milan, Italy - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
7. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Ning Zhongyan, Chinese speed skater; Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games Speed Skating Men's 1500m gold medalist (starting with shot 6/ending with shot 8):
"When it comes to training abroad, the first thing you face is loneliness. You need to confront this sense of isolation on your own, for only then can you discover a way of life that truly belongs to you. The changes have been indeed very significant, as some training philosophies were entirely new to me."
FILE: Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, northeast China - Feb 7, 2025 (CCTV - No
8. Various of Ning training
FILE: Beijing, China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
9. Aerial shot of China's National Speed Skating Oval
10. Various of spectator seats at China's National Speed Skating Oval
Milan, Italy - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
11. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Ning Zhongyan, Chinese speed skater; Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games Speed Skating Men's 1500m gold medalist (starting with shots 9-10):
"[At the World Cup 1500m event,] my opponent was the Olympic champion [Kjeld] Nuis, and I defeated him at the 'Ice Ribbon' (China's National Speed Skating Oval), where he won the Olympic championship in 2022. This victory made me accept my past defeat, and also gave me firmer confidence in myself."
FILE: Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy - Feb 4, 2025 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
12. Various of mountains
13. Sign reading "Cortina"
Chinese speed skater Ning Zhongyan has made Asian history at the Milan-Cortina Olympic Winter Games after a long and solitary journey of rebirth following earlier setbacks.
Ning clocked an Olympic record of one minute 41.98 seconds to win the men's 1,500m speed skating event at the Milan-Cortina Olympic Winter Games on Thursday. This triumph follows two previous bronze medals he won in the men's 1,000m and team pursuit.
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. Since the first Winter Olympics in 1924, no Asian athlete had ever won gold in the event until now.
The journey to the throne was not plain sailing for Ning. The joyful tears shed on the Olympic ice at Milano Speed Skating Stadium 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. In his most practiced discipline, the 1500-meter race, he ranked seventh.
Regrets lingered for a long time. But as a professional athlete, Ning had to adjust his mindset and accept the setback.
"After thinking over it, I was able to face it and realize that there's no need to burden myself with such pressure anymore. After all, it's already in the past. I can't change that reality, so I just chose to accept it," said Ning in an interview with China Media Group in Milan.
In 2023, Ning started to train with Dutch coach Johan De Wit. The move reshaped his career and his mindset.
"When it comes to training abroad, the first thing you face is loneliness. You need to confront this sense of isolation on your own, for only then can you discover a way of life that truly belongs to you. The changes have been indeed very significant, as some training philosophies were entirely new to me," said Ning.
The transformation soon became evident. During the 2023–2024 season, he not only clinched titles in both the men's 1,000m and 1,500m at the ISU World Cup, but also became the first Chinese male World Sprint Champion in speed skating history.
"[At the World Cup 1500m event,] my opponent was the Olympic champion [Kjeld] Nuis, and I defeated him at the 'Ice Ribbon' (China's National Speed Skating Oval), where he won the Olympic championship in 2022. This victory made me accept my past defeat, and also gave me firmer confidence in myself," said Ning.
Having fulfilled his long-held dream of raising the Chinese national flag on the Olympic podium, the newly crowned "King of Speed Skating" said he is grateful for the setbacks four years ago, which made him stronger, and that he never regretted his choices or the hardships he endured along the way.
Italy-Winter Olympics/Chinese Speed Skater
Dateline : Feb 19, 2026/Recent/File
Location : Italy
Duration : 1'18
Milan, Italy - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Arch of Peace
FILE: Beijing, China - Dec 21, 2021 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
2. Interior of China's National Speed Skating Oval
3. Various of athletes training
Milan, Italy - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
4. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Ning Zhongyan, Chinese speed skater; Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games Speed Skating Men's 1500m gold medalist:
"After thinking over it, I was able to face it and realize that there's no need to burden myself with such pressure anymore. After all, it's already in the past. I can't change that reality, so I just chose to accept it."
FILE: Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, northeast China - Feb 7, 2025 (CCTV - No
5. Speed skaters training at ice rink
6. Ning training
Milan, Italy - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
7. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Ning Zhongyan, Chinese speed skater; Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games Speed Skating Men's 1500m gold medalist (starting with shot 6/ending with shot 8):
"When it comes to training abroad, the first thing you face is loneliness. You need to confront this sense of isolation on your own, for only then can you discover a way of life that truly belongs to you. The changes have been indeed very significant, as some training philosophies were entirely new to me."
FILE: Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, northeast China - Feb 7, 2025 (CCTV - No
8. Various of Ning training
FILE: Beijing, China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
9. Aerial shot of China's National Speed Skating Oval
10. Various of spectator seats at China's National Speed Skating Oval
Milan, Italy - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
11. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Ning Zhongyan, Chinese speed skater; Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games Speed Skating Men's 1500m gold medalist (starting with shots 9-10):
"[At the World Cup 1500m event,] my opponent was the Olympic champion [Kjeld] Nuis, and I defeated him at the 'Ice Ribbon' (China's National Speed Skating Oval), where he won the Olympic championship in 2022. This victory made me accept my past defeat, and also gave me firmer confidence in myself."
FILE: Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy - Feb 4, 2025 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
12. Various of mountains
13. Sign reading "Cortina"
Chinese speed skater Ning Zhongyan has made Asian history at the Milan-Cortina Olympic Winter Games after a long and solitary journey of rebirth following earlier setbacks.
Ning clocked an Olympic record of one minute 41.98 seconds to win the men's 1,500m speed skating event at the Milan-Cortina Olympic Winter Games on Thursday. This triumph follows two previous bronze medals he won in the men's 1,000m and team pursuit.
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. Since the first Winter Olympics in 1924, no Asian athlete had ever won gold in the event until now.
The journey to the throne was not plain sailing for Ning. The joyful tears shed on the Olympic ice at Milano Speed Skating Stadium 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. In his most practiced discipline, the 1500-meter race, he ranked seventh.
Regrets lingered for a long time. But as a professional athlete, Ning had to adjust his mindset and accept the setback.
"After thinking over it, I was able to face it and realize that there's no need to burden myself with such pressure anymore. After all, it's already in the past. I can't change that reality, so I just chose to accept it," said Ning in an interview with China Media Group in Milan.
In 2023, Ning started to train with Dutch coach Johan De Wit. The move reshaped his career and his mindset.
"When it comes to training abroad, the first thing you face is loneliness. You need to confront this sense of isolation on your own, for only then can you discover a way of life that truly belongs to you. The changes have been indeed very significant, as some training philosophies were entirely new to me," said Ning.
The transformation soon became evident. During the 2023–2024 season, he not only clinched titles in both the men's 1,000m and 1,500m at the ISU World Cup, but also became the first Chinese male World Sprint Champion in speed skating history.
"[At the World Cup 1500m event,] my opponent was the Olympic champion [Kjeld] Nuis, and I defeated him at the 'Ice Ribbon' (China's National Speed Skating Oval), where he won the Olympic championship in 2022. This victory made me accept my past defeat, and also gave me firmer confidence in myself," said Ning.
Having fulfilled his long-held dream of raising the Chinese national flag on the Olympic podium, the newly crowned "King of Speed Skating" said he is grateful for the setbacks four years ago, which made him stronger, and that he never regretted his choices or the hardships he endured along the way.
ID : 8466929
Published : 2026-02-21 04:54
Last Modified : 2026-02-21 18:38:37
Source : China Central Television (CCTV),China Global Television Network (CGTN)
Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland
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