Former short track speed skating Olympic champion Wu Dajing announces retirement

HONG KONG, China, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Wu Dajing, Chinese Olympic champion in short track speed skating, announced his retirement on Tuesday, opting for a low-key farewell without a ceremony.

The 31-year-old won Olympic gold in the men's 500 meters at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, China's sole gold medal at the Games, and helped China claim gold in the mixed 2,000m relay at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

Wu said he considered retiring after Beijing 2022 but chose to continue because of his love for short track skating. He made few appearances in international competition afterward, and his last domestic competition came at the 14th National Winter Games in 2024. He also considered transitioning to speed skating.

Wu posted on Weibo on Tuesday night, saying he would no longer cling to the obsession of "one more fight".

"When the words 'retired' were spoken, there were no regrets, only tranquility," he said. ■