Winter Olympics 2022 - Gao Tingyu wins speed skating 500m in Olympic record time, GB's Cornelius Kersten comes 25th

ByJames Kilpatrick

Updated 12/02/2022 at 12:46 GMT

History was made at the National Speed Skating Oval as Gao Tingyu stormed to an Olympic record time to win the first Olympic gold medal of his career. The 24-year-old won bronze at Pyeongchang 2018 to become the first Chinese man to win an Olympic medal in speed skating, but has followed up with a greater record set in Beijing.

Gao Tingyu won the 500m men's speed skating in Olympic record time to give China their fourth gold medal at the Beijng Winter Games.

Gao secured the record with a time of 34.32. He got off to a ferocious start on the inside lane up against Poland's Damien Zurek and never looked back, beating Norwegian Haavard Lorenzten's record time of 34.41 set at Pyeongchang 2018.

South Korea's Cha Min-Kyu made it back-to-back Winter Olympics silver medals. He finished 0.07 seconds behind Gao with a time of 34.39. Japan's Wataru Morishige took bronze in 34.49.

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Great Britain's Cornelius Kersten, competing in his first Winter Olympics, took on Ivan Arzhanikov from Kazakhstan. Kersten got off to the better start and held on to win it in 35.36; 0.46 quicker than the Kazakh. The Brit's time saw him come in 25th overall.

USA's Jordan Stolz on the outside lane roared into first place with a time of 34.85, but the 17-year-old hot prospect's lead did not last long as Gao blitzed into gold position.

'China have struck gold!' - Gao celebrates stunning win in 500m in Beijing

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Lorentzen was a little bit lost on the ice and finished well behind Korea's Junho Kim on the inside lane to finish in 15th. The Korean came in at 34.54 ahead of the Norwegian's time of 34.92.

Canada's Laurent Dubreuil, a favourite to medal having won gold at the 2021 World Championships in Heerenveen, was part of the final pair alongside Japan's Tatsuya Shinhama.

The 29-year-old used his visible anger from the false start declared against him to finish in fourth with a time of 34.522, sparking wild celebrations from Gao and his team.

• Not very Kleba! USA speed skater crashes while celebrating in comical gaffe

Not very Kleba! USA speed skater crashes while celebrating in comical gaffe

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