First Chinese player makes podium for women's 3000m at ISU Speed Skating WC

On Nov 19, the last day of the 2022–23 ISU Speed Skating World Cup (Beijing Division), Inner Mongolia's Han Mei represented China in the competition, securing a bronze medal in the women's 3,000m with a time of 4 minutes and 05.45 seconds.

This historic achievement makes her the first Chinese athlete to stand on the podium for this event at the world championship level.

The 3,000m is considered a long-distance event in women's speed skating.

Historically, the podium for this event at world championship competitions has been predominantly occupied by European and American athletes, making Han Mei's victory a significant breakthrough for China.

In the 3,000m A-division final, Han Mei took to the track in the fourth group, continually setting the fastest single-lap times within her group.

After the race, she exclaimed: "This is the real me; the true Han Mei has returned!"

Reflecting on her excellent performance, she candidly admitted she wasn't expecting such impressive results, given her less than remarkable showing at the previous competition stop.