Athletes compete in the 2,000-meter mixed relay of short track speed skating at the 14th National Winter Games on Friday. Photo: Li Hang/GT

The highly anticipated short track speed skating event of the 14th National Winter Games kicked off on Friday, with athletes from Heilongjiang, Jilin and Shandong provinces winning three gold medals. The titles were clinched in the women's and men's 1,500 meters, as well as the 2,000-meter mixed relay.
The highlight of the day was the women's 1,500-meter final, where Zang Yize, representing Team Heilongjiang, surged ahead in the final stretch, surpassing Jilin's top contender Zhang Chutong to claim the gold medal in 2 minutes and 22.262 seconds.

Zang's victory marked the first gold medal of the 14th National Winter Games in the short track speed skating (public group). Zhang Chutong and Guo Yihan, both from Northeast China's Jilin Province secured the silver and bronze medals, respectively.

"Short track speed skating is a highly unpredictable sport, so it's essential to execute each pass perfectly. There can be no room for error in any lap,"said Zang in a post-match interview, adding that "In the finals, competing against high-level athletes, even a single mistake can make it challenging to make the next pass."

Looking ahead to the 2026 Winter Olympics, also known as Milano-Cortina 2026, Zang noted, "We have made significant changes this year, including changing our team. There have been considerable adjustments in various aspects such as technique."

She added that with two years remaining until the 2026 Winter Olympics, she hopes to demonstrate her training level on the competition stage, perhaps even exceed it.

In the men's 1,500-meter final, Sun Long from Jilin adopted the "Rabbit Tactic" approach, outpacing renowned competitors such as Lin Xiaojun and Liu Shaoang to clinch the gold medal in 2 minutes and 12.116 seconds.

During the post-match interview, Sun mentioned that the "Rabbit Tactic" approach he adopted was actually inspired by the finals of the ISU World Cup Short Track in Dresden held last week.

"At the World Cup Dresden, the finalists were achieving times around 2 minutes and 11 to 12 seconds. I wanted to test myself to see if I had the ability to compete for a gold medal internationally, so I adopted the strategy," Sun said.

Meanwhile, in the 2,000-meter mixed team relay, the Team Shandong, comprised of athletes Jia Huiling, Gong Li, Li Xuan, An Kai, Yu Songnan and Li Wenlong, clinched the gold medal with a time of 2 minutes and 42.906 seconds.

In addition to winning the gold medal of the men's 1,500-meter final, Sun, along with his teammates from Jilin, including world champion Wu Dajing, secured the silver medal in the 2,000-meter mixed team relay event in 2 minutes and 43.312 seconds.

Reflecting on the results, Sun believed that his performance demonstrated the outcome of his usual training efforts, adding that "this is just a starting point."

Featuring figure skating, skiing, biathlon, curling, ice hockey, bobsleigh, luge and ski mountaineering, the games cover 16 disciplines and 176 events. This edition marks the first national comprehensive sports event held after the Beijing Winter Olympics and the inaugural hosting of such an event in Inner Mongolia.

The opening ceremony of the games will officially kick off in Hulunbuir, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on the night of February 17, which is expected to draw over 4,000 participants, including 35 sports delegations. The games will last until February 27.