Dutch speed skater looking forward to rivalry with Chinese athletes

BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Speed skating medal hopeful Thomas Krol of the Netherlands says he is looking forward to battling with Chinese rivals Ning Zhongyan and Gao Tingyu at Beijing 2022.

"I really want to battle with Ning, and he might defeat us," said Krol, after a test race at the National Speed Skating Oval on Sunday, adding that he has a lot of respect for the Chinese athlete who has won men's 1,500m and 1,000m golds in the World Cup series this season.

"Ning is really a nice guy. I can laugh with him and we exchanged suits during the World Cup," the 30-year-old Dutch skater said. "I think he is one of the favorites for the men's 1,500m."

"I also have a lot of respect for Gao. He will compete in the 500m and he is so fast in the first 100 meters. It's incredible," he added.

Gao and Chinese female skeleton athlete Zhao Dan were announced as the home delegation's flag-bearers at the opening ceremony which will take place on February 4. The 24-year-old is one of China's brightest speed skating stars in recent years.

The speed skating events of Beijing 2022 will start on February 5 and run through to February 19.