Ning Zhongyan makes history by claiming 1000m silver in Belarus

Zhongyan Ning of China , Thomas Krol of the Netherlands and Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands pose on the podium after the Men`s 1000m race during the ISU World Cup Speed Skating at Minsk Arena on November 15, 2019 in Minsk, Belarus. / VCG Photo

China's 20-year-old skater Ning Zhongyan claimed silver in the men's 1,000m event at the International Skating Union Speed Skating World Cup in Minsk, Belarus on Saturday, making a breakthrough for the country's speed skating team.

Thomas Krol of the Netherlands won the gold medal with a track-record of one minute and 09.001 seconds while his fellow countryman, the Dutch world record holder Kjeld Nuis bagged a bronze.

Starting in the sixth pair, Ning lined up on the ice with David La Rue from Canada. Amid a thundering ovation from the stands, Ning finished the race first with 1:09.220. Ning raised his arms over his shoulders while shouting aggressively as he rushed through the finish line, knowing that he already made the breakthrough.

His performance made history for the country as no Chinese athlete has won a medal in the same event at the World Cup arena in recent decades.

In 1994, China's Liu Hongbo made it to the 1,000m event in the Lillehammer Winter Olympics but came in fourth.

Skaters of China (L), Netherlands (C) and Canada (R) pose after competing in men's team sprint at the medal ceremony at the ISU World Cup Speed Skating at Minsk Arena, November 15, 2019. /VCG Photo

20-year-old Ning makes his impression

After the first day at the World Cup in Belarus, the International Skating Union gave a surprise evaluation of the Chinese team who won second place in the men's team sprint division. On the second day, Ning delivered an even more remarkable performance.

Having celebrated his 20th birthday just a few days ago, Ning has already made his mark in competitions at home and abroad in the recent years. In the 2018-19 World Cup final, Ning claimed eighth place in the team sprint division. He also won the championship for men's 1,000m and 1,500m for national competitions.

In Belarus, Ning qualified for the men's 1,000 and 1,500m as well as the team sprint division. He created the fastest single lap result during the team sprint competition. According to China's coaching team, the reason Ning took the third relay position is out of consideration of his versatility.

"Not only does he have good stamina, he also possesses competitive advantages when it comes to sprinting," said his coach.

Ning will be competing for the men's 1,500m on Sunday.