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E-mail Xinhua, February 12, 2025
Ning Zhongyan and Han Mei each secured a triple gold medal haul as speed skating concluded on Tuesday at the Harbin 2025 Asian Winter Games (AWG).
Ning and Han triumphed in the men's and women's 1,000m races, respectively, while Team China also claimed gold in both the men's and women's team pursuit events.
Ning Zhongyan of China celebrates after the men's 1000m final match of the speed skating event at the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)
With a final tally of 11 golds, five silvers, and five bronzes from 14 events, China surpassed its previous best record of five golds, four silvers, and three bronzes from the 6th AWG in Changchun 18 years ago.
In the women's 1,000m, Han and compatriot Yin Qi secured a one-two finish, with Han clocking one minute and 15.85 seconds to beat then leader Lee Nah-yun to second. Han's performance edged Lee by 0.54 seconds, while Yin overtook Lee in the subsequent pair, finishing second in 1:16.08. Lee had to settle for bronze.
"It's difficult to say I have no regrets since I didn't win the gold. I could have skated faster, but this is competitive sport," said Yin, who also earned a bronze in the 1,500m.
Less than two hours later, Han, together with teammates Yang Binyu and Ahenaer Adake, secured another gold in the women's team pursuit. With only four teams competing, the other three were guaranteed medals after Kazakhstan withdrew from the race due to injury just seconds after the start. China finished with a time of 3:02.75 to ensure the gold, while Japan and South Korea took silver and bronze, respectively.
"I'm happy to have achieved the goals I set for myself, and I will continue working to improve," said Han, who collected three golds and two silvers at the Harbin AWG.
She also noted that the absence of Japanese Olympic champion Miho Takagi made the competition less intense. "Although we achieved great results, we must remain humble and focus on the upcoming World Cups and the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Greater challenges lie ahead."
In the men's 1,000m, Ning celebrated his victory with a "night night" gesture popularized by NBA superstar Stephen Curry after crossing the line in 1:08.81 to claim his third gold on home ice. South Korea's Cha Min-kyu finished second with a time of 1:09.63, while Lian Ziwen claimed the bronze just 0.05 seconds behind.
Liu Hanbin, Wu Yu, and Hanahati Muhamaiti collaborated to secure one more gold for China in the men's team pursuit, finishing in 3:45.94 ahead of South Korea and Japan.
South Korea is second on the speed skating medal tally with three golds, five silvers and four bronzes, followed by Japan on 0-3-3.
"This boosts our confidence, and we have also identified areas for improvement through these competitions," said team official Feng Shuang.
