Wu Dajing Announces Retirement, Embracing New Role as Educator: The Blade May Cool, but the Passion Endures
- Chelsea
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
Chinese short track legend closes historic competitive career, vows to continue inspiring next generation on and off the ice.
BEIJING, January 1, 2026 — Wu Dajing, China’s most decorated short track speed skater and an icon of winter sports, officially announced his retirement from competitive skating on January 6th, 2026. In a heartfelt social media post titled “To 2025: The Blade May Cool, but the Passion Endures,” the 31-year-old Olympic champion reflected on his final year of training, his transition to speed skating, and his decision to step away from elite competition with “no regret, only peace.”
“The true allure of competitive sports was never about winning forever,” Wu wrote, “but about the tenacity to charge forward despite knowing the odds.”
Wu’s career reached its peak at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, where he claimed China’s only gold medal in the men’s 500m with a dominant, wire-to-wire victory and was honored as the flag bearer for Team China at the closing ceremony. Four years later, he culminated his Olympic journey at the 2022 Olympic Games by winning a mixed relay gold, adding a final triumph to his legendary resume.
A Private Retirement, Public Records
In a recent interview with CCTV, Wu expressed his wish for a low-key departure from the sport. “I don’t want a formal ceremony,” he said. “I entered the world of skating from a state of obscurity. After stepping down, there’s no need to make a grand spectacle. In fact, retiring quietly like this feels like a good and fitting memory for myself.”
This humility stands in contrast to the extraordinary achievements of his career, which was defined by his sustained excellence in the 500-meter event. His career statistics are a testament to his consistency and excellence. He broke the world record 3 times, set 1 Olympic record, and posted 13 sub-40-second times in the 500m. At his peak during the PyeongChang Olympic cycle (2014-2018), he demonstrated utter command of the event: he reached the Final A in 87% of major international races (Olympic Games, World Championships, and World Cup Series) (19/23) and stood on the podium in 65% of them (15/23), winning gold nearly half the time (43%, 10/23).
Wu Dajing (CHN) was celebrating the Men's 500m event gold at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics © XINHUANET
In his retirement announcement, Wu revealed that he spent much of 2025 training in speed skating—a discipline requiring different technique and stamina—in an effort to extend his career. Yet recurring injuries and the physical demands of the sport ultimately led to his decision. “I came to understand that my opponents were not just other skaters,” he acknowledged, “but also the weight of injuries and time itself.”
Fan Kexin on Wu’s Retirement: “I Understand That Desire”
Shortly after Wu’s announcement, former teammate and fellow Olympic champion Fan Kexin shared an emotional response. “From our youthful days side by side in the national team to fighting together on the ice for China’s glory, we grew and pushed each other forward,” she wrote. “I witnessed so many of your moments of grit, and I know the story behind every scar.”
Addressing Wu’s reflection on his “desire to fight one more time,” Fan added: “I understand that desire more than anyone. It’s the kind that grinds twenty years of youth into the blade of your skate, yet still strives to carve one last, regret-free medal with everything you have.”
She concluded with warm encouragement: “Your passion remains burning, your mission continues. Wishing you all the best, Dajing! Keep leading the way on life’s new track.”
From Champion to Mentor
Rather than marking an end, Wu’s retirement signals a meaningful new beginning. He has already begun his role as a professor at Jilin University (Changchun, Jilin, China) where he will teach and mentor students in sports science and skating. He also remains active in coaching emerging talent and promoting winter sports through charitable initiatives.
“An athlete’s mission is to push limits,” Wu reflected, “but an educator’s duty is to pass on the flame of passion.” Wu’s story—from a small town in Heilongjiang to the top of the Olympic podium—came to represent more than athletic success.
In his post, he expressed gratitude to coaches, teammates, fans, and the nation, and saluted “the 10-year-old boy who dreamed of skating while watching Yang Yang (China’s first Winter Olympic gold medalist, 2002 Salt Lake City) on TV.” He concluded with a promise: “I will carry forward the courage and resilience forged on the ice, moving ahead on a new path, ensuring that this love for ice and snow burns bright for generations to come.”
Wu Dajing leaves competitive skating not only as a champion, but as a bridge—between eras, between disciplines, and between the icy track and the classroom where future champions will dream.
Full Text of Wu Dajing's Retirement Announcement:
(The following is translated from Wu Dajing's original Weibo post in Chinese)
To 2025: The Blade May Cool, but the Passion Endures
The final page of 2025 has turned. Standing at the crossroads of the rink and the podium, looking back on this year, I see a relentless struggle with myself, but also a quiet reconciliation with the passage of time.
This year, I was consumed by the desire to ‘fight one more time.’ Transitioning from the short track to the speed skating oval, I believed my years of experience could bridge the gap in technique and fitness. Yet, through every fall and every adjustment, I came to understand that my opponents were not just other skaters, but also the weight of injuries and time itself. When the words ‘I am retiring’ finally left my lips, there was no regret, only peace. The true allure of competitive sports was never about winning forever, but about the tenacity to charge forward despite knowing the odds—just like my solitary fight at the PyeongChang Olympics, or the moment I gave my all in Beijing. Those countless days and nights of training on the ice, the agony of eating meals lying down when my back injury flared up, the sheer ecstasy of breaking a world record—all are now etched into my bones, indelible medals of a lifetime.
This year, I also came to understand that ‘stepping away is not an ending.’ Laying down my skates and picking up lesson plans, I now stand before students as a professor at Jilin University. Seeing the hunger for knowledge in their eyes, I realized: an athlete’s mission is to push limits, but an educator’s duty is to pass on the flame of passion. Coaching young athletes to refine their technique in the training hall, sharing insights from the arena in the classroom, spreading the warmth of sports at charity events—passion, I’ve learned, takes many forms. It can be the solitary dash across the ice, or the quiet dedication of passing the torch. The love and perseverance that carried me through my darkest hours, the trust and camaraderie of coaches and teammates, the mission and honor bestowed by my country—all have become the foundation for my journey ahead.
In 2025, I salute the self who never gave up. I salute the 10-year-old boy who dreamed of skating while watching Yang Yang on TV; I salute the fighter who gritted his teeth through injury and rehabilitation; I salute the athlete who held his ground on the world stage; and I salute the man who now embraces this new chapter, committed to nurturing the next generation on ice and snow. Above all, I salute this ice, I salute everyone who has supported me, and I salute the greatest lesson competitive sports has taught me: true courage lies not only in riding the waves at your peak, but also in stepping forward with grace and resolve when the time comes to turn the page.
The blade of the skate may cool, but the fire within never dies. Goodbye to my competitive career. In the future, I will carry forward the courage and resilience forged on the ice, moving ahead on a new path, ensuring that this love for ice and snow burns bright for generations to come.”
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