Skater Zhang Hong tries to overcome injury in 500m contest

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China’s long track speed skater Zhang Hong entered PyeongChang as the reigning champion in the 1,000-meter, but was hampered by a knee problem and failed to retain her Olympic title, finishing 11th.

"I’ve been through a lot in the past four years. I’ve experienced victory, failure, injury as well as changes in our team. But I think I should always learn something new and be open to new things,” Zhang said.

“I'm still adjusting to this process, to be able to stand here and compete is already something. So I'm already very proud that I'm here at the Olympics. And I want to thank the supporters for their understanding and encouragement."

Zhang Hong finished 11th place at the Women’s 1,000m Speed Skating in PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics. /VCG Photo

Zhang is set to compete in the 500-meter event on Sunday night. Sometimes she can’t even walk because of her knee injury. It hurts everyday, even now.

"The 500-meter is my last event at the Games, and I’ll try my best to deliver. Also I’ll try to overcome my injury problem, and I hope I can have a good result," the skater said.

At the Sochi Olympics, Zhang claimed a gold medal which was the country's only gold in speed skating. This time she felt like she let people down.

“That's the Olympics, you win and you lose; I have to accept that and try to gain experience from that. Even if one day I can't compete, I still want to pass on my experience to other athletes, and hope they have a chance to stand on an Olympic podium," Zhang said.