Chinese Skaters Kick Off World Cup with Double Bronze in Poland

China's speed skating stars Ning Zhongyan and Han Mei powered through the ISU World Cup opener in Tomaszow Mazowiecki, Poland, snagging bronze medals in the men's and women's 1500m races! Their gritty performances signal a strong start to the season after historic wins at the Harbin Asian Winter Games earlier this year.

Ning, who dominated the Games with three golds, clocked 1:46.06 in the men's event—just 0.87 seconds behind gold medalist Jordan Stolz of the US. Meanwhile, Han Mei nearly grabbed silver in the women's race, missing Japan's Miho Takagi by a razor-thin 0.06 seconds. Dutch skater Marijke Groenewoud took gold, while rising Chinese talent Yang Binyu impressed with a sixth-place finish.

While the duo's podium finishes highlight China's growing speed skating prowess, Beijing 2022 Olympic champion Gao Tingyu faced a setback, placing 15th in the men's 500m. His time of 35.11 seconds trailed his recent winning pace in Harbin by 0.16 seconds—a result that's sure to fuel his fire for upcoming races.

With eyes now on the rest of the World Cup circuit, Team China is proving it's ready to skate fast—and make history.

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Chinese skaters launch World Cup campaign with double bronze in Poland

cgtn.com