China's teenage debutant Tai confident of better performance at next Olympics

Tai Zhien of China in action during the speed skating women's 5,000m final at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy, Feb. 12, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Wei)

MILAN, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- After finishing 12th out of 12 competitors in the women's 5,000m race at the Milan-Cortina Games on Thursday, Tai Zhien said she was confident of a better performance at next Olympics.

Racing in the first pair, the Chinese skater clocked seven minutes 15.71 seconds, 29.54 seconds behind the Italian winner Francesca Lollobrigida.

A disappointed Tai burst into tears in the warm-up area before calming herself to speak to reporters.

"Standing on such a big stage, I now realize just how big the gap is," said the 19-year-old, who was competing in her first Olympics. "I know I have a lot of work to do, but I believe I can do better next time."

Tai, who finished seventh in the 5,000m at last year's World Single Distances Championships, admitted that a slight shift in her mindset prevented her from performing at her best.

"I reminded myself last time, 'don't care about the result and just do your best,'" she said. "This time, maybe I was a little too eager to perform well. I have no prior Olympic experience, so I should have kept the same mentality as I did last year."

"This has been a valuable learning experience for me," the skater added.

Tai in action during the final. (Xinhua/Wu Wei)

On Wednesday, Ning Zhongyan won the men's 1,000m speed skating bronze, China's first medal on ice at these Games. He fared below par at Beijing 2022, finishing fifth in the event.

"Brother Ning set a great example for me, I will learn from him," said Tai.

Tai took up skating at the age of 10 as her grandmother took her to an outdoor rink in Yanbian, northeast China's Jilin Province. Right after her race on Thursday, her grandmother sent her a message to comfort her.

"Grandma told me, 'You've worked hard,'" Tai said. "I'll call her soon to talk more."

Having completed her only event at Milan-Cortina 2026, Tai will head home Friday to prepare for her next competition, a junior-level event.

"I'm going home," she said with a smile.