Speed skaters aim high for 2026

"Apart from Gao Tingyu who managed to win 500m gold and bronze medals at Beijing 2022 and the 2018 Pyeongchang Games respectively, we are still not among the top nations in many other disciplines.

"We now need to identify the issues that have hampered our development in these disciplines, and then figure out solutions. We are aiming to compete in every single speed skating medal event at the 2026 Games, and our goal is to make breakthroughs in more disciplines."

Li also stressed the importance of nurturing top-quality domestic coaches, saying: "While we will continue to look for suitable foreign coaches and experts, we have prioritized nurturing more domestic coaches. We hope to build a talent-nurturing system that is perfectly suited to Chinese speed skating."

Among the younger members of the squad keen to make their mark in Milan in four years' time is Lian Ziwen, who participated in four disciplines at Beijing 2022.

Whether at the Milan Games or elsewhere, he is confident of one day reaching the podium.

"I hope I can keep growing through participating in this season's World Cup. I tried hard to level up my physical strength this year. I hope to display my fastest speed at the international events," said the 24-year-old, who specializes in 1,000m and 1,500m.

"I always tell myself, as long as it's what you truly want, then you will not be afraid no matter how tough or long the journey is ahead of you."

Young guns

On Monday, the 17-strong short-track speed skating national team was unveiled in Beijing, led by new head coach Zhang Jing, a former Chinese speed skater and ex-coach of the Hungarian national team.

The 17 skaters were selected through an invitational trial held from Sept 23-25 in Beijing.

The new squad boasts plenty of experience with the likes of Ren Ziwei, who claimed two Olympic golds at Beijing 2022, among its ranks.

Another name that catches the eye is Lim Hyo-jun, the men's 1,500m champion from the 2018 Olympics. The newly naturalized Lim formerly represented South Korea.

"I participated in all the short-track disciplines at Beijing 2022, and our team won Team China's first medal. Beijing 2022 was for sure the most glorious chapter of my career," Ren said at Friday's flag-raising ceremony.

"Beijing 2022 is in the past and the preparations for the Milan-Cortina Games have begun. As a member of the national team, I always tell myself to aim high and everything starts from zero again. Step by step, I will put in the hard work in training and competition."

New head coach Zhang left Hungary in July and had been named general consultant of a training camp during the summer in China. After months of working with the Chinese national team, Zhang believes the squad still has plenty of room for improvement.

"The new Team China will keep adapting and adjusting during this season, so for a period of time, the squad's results will not be too surprising. Some young athletes will develop quickly, while others will take one or two years to improve," Zhang told media on Monday.

"Many of the young athletes will need to be more consistent, especially in intense races at major championships.

"We need to find the balance, and our preparations have been progressing steadily."

shifutian@chinadaily.com.cn