China's Olympic debutant Ning skates under home pressure

Ning was selected to China's national speed skating team in 2018, and he won a silver in the World Cup just one year later in Belarus. His continuance of momentum in the following years made him one of the top contenders for an Olympic medal of men's 1,500 meters.

"I really want to battle with Ning, and he might defeat me," said reigning world champion Thomas Krol of the Netherlands, after a test race ahead of the 1,500m competition, adding that he has a lot of respect for his Chinese counterpart.