Speedskater Gao Tingyu Sets Olympic Record As USA Teenager Stars On Debut

Feb 12, 2022, 3:11 AM | Updated: 3:13 am

Jordan Stolz of Team United States skates during the Men's 500m on day eight of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at National Speed Skating Oval on February 12, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

Gao Tingyu thrilled the home crowd in Beijing by becoming the first Chinese man to claim an Olympic gold medal in speedskating, winning the 500 meters.

Gao added to the bronze medal he took in the 500 at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.

Zhang Hong had been the only Chinese gold medalist at the oval. She won the women’s 1,000 eight years ago in Sochi.

Now, she’s got company.

Gao skated in the seventh of 15 pairs, setting an Olympic record of 34.32 seconds. Then he waited nervously on the infield as 16 other skaters took aim at his time.

None could beat it. The silver went to South Korea’s Cha Min Kyu, whose time of 34.39 gave him a matching medal to the silver he won four years ago in Pyeongchang. Wataru Morishige of Japan took the bronze in 34.49.

The speed Jordan Stolz has at just 17 years old. 😳@USSpeedskating x #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/hAEbaEMnxw

— Team USA (@TeamUSA) February 12, 2022

The United States, despite not finishing on the podium, must be very excited for what the future holds following the performance by 17-year-old Jordan Stolz who only finished 0.53 seconds behind Gao and his Olympic record.

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics

Just a year after Japan’s summer Olympics, the Games are back for a winter show in Beijing, China. The unusually short gap between Games is due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Strict precautions and enforced virus prevention protocol are in place to help keep athletes, coaches and personnel safe.

Beijing is the capital of China, with a population of more than 20 million people and the first city to host both a Summer and Winter Olympic games. It is one of the largest cities in the world and 15 hours ahead of Mountain Time. There are 13 different venues in and around Beijing that will be used for the Winter Olympics. A total of 109 events will be held in 15 different sports, and there will be a lot of Utah locals competing for medals. Keep up to date with them at our Olympic headquarters.

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