Standing on the starting line at the Milan ice rink, Chinese speed skater Liu Hanbin waved to the crowd, then calmly performed a personal gesture. Liu raised his right hand and extended his little finger.
"It was a promise I made to my grandfather," Liu said after the competition. "He wanted me to skate since I was little, and I grew up with him, but he passed away seven years ago. He didn't get to see me compete in the Olympics or join the national team. This gesture is my way of fulfilling my promise to him in heaven."
Liu made his Olympic debut on Sunday in the men's 5,000 meters. He finished 17th out of 20 skaters with a time of 6 minutes 24.25 seconds.
"This will actually be my slowest performance compared to my performance at sea level," Liu told Xinhua, adding that he had suffered an injury two months earlier. "So, just being able to stand on this rink is already satisfying for me."
"I didn't have any particular expectations," he added. "But after the competition, I felt that just being able to compete with my opponents was a big surprise."
It marked the first time in 20 years that a Chinese skater had competed in the men's 5,000 meters at the Winter Olympics. At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Gao Xuefeng finished 25th with a time of 6 minutes, 44.78 seconds.
"I'm very honored to have achieved this, and it makes me very happy," Liu said. "I believe Chinese speed skating will soon reach the world level in the 5,000 meters, especially in terms of technique."
Liu set a national record in the 5,000 meters at the 2025 World Cup in the United States, with a time of 6 minutes, 11.10 seconds, which also set a world junior record.
Long distance events are not typically the Chinese speed skating team's strong suit, but Liu has focused on the 5,000 and 10,000 meters since he began playing the sport.
"Long races are longer, so you can really enjoy the competition," he said. "You can feel the race, your technical moves on the ice, everything. You can hear the cheers in the rink and feel the support from everyone. That's what really appeals to me."
Liu said she thoroughly enjoyed her first Winter Olympics appearance and the atmosphere inside the arena, waving to the Chinese fans after crossing the finish line.
"This is the best atmosphere I've ever experienced while competing," she said. "I really enjoyed myself and was immersed in the competition."
