The Chinese speed skating team is picking up the pace again as it expands its medal ambitions to more disciplines at the next Winter Olympics.

Having produced a number of world-class sprinters in recent years, Team China is now determined to also go for glory in the grueling long-distance races.

"I want our skaters to be able to compete and win in multiple events, not just one or two. Our goal is to develop an overall, more balanced team that is capable of covering more distances on the world stage," Li Yan, head coach of the Chinese national team, said after a training session in Beijing on Monday.

"That's the change of mentality that we have to instill in each and every national team athlete going into the new Olympic cycle — that we shall dare to improve and try to win in more events."

Team China's lofty ambitions will be tested for the first time on Friday when the International Skating Union opens its 2023-24 World Cup season in Obihiro, Japan, where a 10-strong Chinese team, divided equally into men and women, will compete.

Overseen by Li and with Dutch coach Jan Bos also lending his expertise, a squad comprising 16 men, 14 women and four juniors has been busy during an intense offseason program. The focus has been on aerobic endurance, strength conditioning and, perhaps most importantly, the athletes' "champion mindset". The early results have been encouraging.

At the domestic elite league's first leg last week in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, a total of 48 personal bests — specifically for a low-lying, near-sea-level track, where skaters tend to go slower — were achieved. Those results earned China a best-ever qualification quota for the World Cup series.

Team China can send four skaters to compete in each of the women's disciplines, as well as four men in each of the 500m, 1,000m and 1,500m events. China also has two spots in both the men's 5,000m and 10,000m competitions.

"Wider participation has been achieved (on the World Cup circuit), but we are not satisfied anymore with just being involved," said Li.

"We want to win. We have to plant a champion's seed in the heart of every athlete so that they have a high target to chase early in their career, which will motivate them to not just compete with the best but to be the best."

Gao Tingyu of China competes during the speed skating men's 500m event at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing on Feb. 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Cheng Tingting)

Reigning men's 500m Olympic champion Gao Tingyu, though, will skip the World Cup opener in Japan as he remains cautious with a lower back injury that has troubled him since winning the country's second speed skating Olympic title at Beijing 2022.

The sprinting specialist is expected to lace up for an international race for the first time in 21 months at the World Cup's second stop in Beijing (Nov 17-19) at the scene of his Olympic triumph — the iconic National Speed Skating Oval, known as the "Ice Ribbon".

"At the beginning it was so tough that I ended up feeling pain everywhere in my body after each training session," Gao said of his summer training camp during a recent China Central Television interview.

"Physically I am OK now after gradually growing used to the intensity and hours in training. I haven't rediscovered my best form yet, but everything is getting better," said Gao, who turns 26 next month.

Gao will still be in action this weekend at the domestic league's second stop as he bids to clock a qualification time for the Beijing World Cup leg.

"My goal this season is to pick up my strength at a steadier pace while keeping an eye on emerging challengers around the world," said Gao, who clocked an Olympic record of 34.32 seconds to win 500m gold at the Ice Ribbon in February 2022.

Gao's Beijing 2022 triumph built on the success of Zhang Hong's Olympic gold in the women's 1,000m at the 2014 Sochi Games.

Traditionally, the Netherlands, United States and Norway have dominated on the oval track. The Dutch, in particular, have been the skaters to beat — amassing 133 medals, including 48 golds, at the Winter Olympics since 1924.

It is hoped that the input of Dutch coach Bos, a back-to-back Olympic silver medalist (1998 and 2002), will provide Chinese athletes with elite insight and a fresh take on training, race preparation and the mental side of competing.

"I think it's really necessary and quite helpful to learn from their strengths and make up for our own weaknesses," veteran women's skater Li Qishi said of Bos' influence.

"For instance, I have learned how to better improve my technical details, such as my starting push," added Li, who was a member of China's bronze-winning trio in the women's team sprint at the 2023 world championships in March in the Netherlands.

"I feel like we still have room for more improvements and we are keen to reproduce what we've done in training on the race track at the World Cup."

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