China's Ning Zhongyan produced a stunning performance to win the men's 1500m speed skating gold at the Winter Olympics on Thursday, setting a new Olympic record of 1:41.98. The 26-year-old's victory denied American Jordan Stolz a third gold medal of the Games, with Stolz settling for silver in 1:42.75.
Ning, who had already won bronze in the 1000m and team pursuit, seized the race with early aggression and never looked back. Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands, the two-time defending Olympic champion, took bronze in 1:42.82, delighting the orange-clad crowd.
Stolz, 21, had won gold in the 500m and 1000m earlier in the Games, but could not match Ning's blistering pace. The American admitted he did not have his best race, saying: 'Ning had the race of his life. I didn't have one of my best, but I am still happy with silver.'
The 1500m is often called the 'race of kings' in speed skating, demanding both sprint speed and endurance. Ning's victory was China's first speed skating gold of these Olympics, and he celebrated by taking a victory lap draped in the Chinese flag.
Stolz still has a chance to add to his medal tally in Saturday's mass start event. He entered the Games as a seven-time world champion and the favourite across three individual distances, but fell short of becoming the first male speed skater to win three golds at a single Games since Johann Olav Koss in 1994.
