National Current Affairs
India's 1st Gold at Speed Skating World Championships
- 17 Sep 2025
- 2 min read
Why in News?
Anandkumar Velkumar made history by becoming India's first-ever World Champion in skating, winning Gold in the Senior Men's 1000m Sprint at the Speed Skating World Championships 2025.
Key Points
- About: The Speed Skating World Championships is being held from 13th to 21st September 2025 in Beidaihe, China, where Anandkumar Velkumar won gold with a time of 1:24.924.
- Additional Medals: Velkumar also earned a Bronze in the 500m Sprint event, marking India's first-ever senior world championship medal in speed skating.
- Junior Competition Success: The championships also saw Krish Sharma winning Gold in the Junior Men's 1000m Sprint, contributing to India’s outstanding performance.
Speed Skating World Championships
- About: Since 1891, the ISU Speed Skating World Championships have been the sport's premier event, alternating between Single Distances and Allround & Sprint formats.
- Single Distances Format (introduced in 1996): Held in pre- and post-Olympic years, skaters compete for 16 World titles, including Men’s 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 5000m and 10,000m, Women’s 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 3000m and 5000m, Mass Start, Team Pursuit, and Team Sprint.
- Allround Format: The Allround format, a cornerstone of Speed Skating tradition, has been contested by men since 1891 and women since 1936.
- Sprint Format: Introduced in 1970, the Sprint Champion event tests speed and precision, with skaters racing the 500m and 1000m twice, and the combined results of these sprints determine the champion.
