Wu Dajing Announces Retirement: The Blade May Cool, but the Passion Endures
- Chelsea
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 6 hours ago
Chinese short track champion concludes competitive career, outlines plans to continue inspiring next generation on and off the ice.
Wu Dajing, a prominent figure in Chinese short track speed skating and a multi-time Olympic medalist, officially announced his retirement 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 noted in his statement, “but about the tenacity to charge forward despite knowing the odds.”
Wu's most notable achievement came at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, where he claimed China’s only gold medal and was honored as the flag bearer for Team China at the closing ceremony. Four years later, he added a mixed relay gold to his accomplishments at the 2022 Olympic Games.
A Private Retirement, Public Records
In a recent interview, Wu indicated a preference for a low-key departure from the sport. “I don’t want a formal ceremony,” he told CCTV. “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 personal choice contrasts with a career marked by significant results. Over his decorated career, Wu amassed more than 70 medals in international competition. His dominance was particularly evident in the 500m event, where he broke the world record three times, set one Olympic record, and recorded 13 sub-40-second performances. His peak consistency was showcased during the 2014-2018 Olympic cycle leading to the PyeongChang Games: in 23 major international races (Olympic Games, World Championships, and World Cup Series), he reached the Final A 19 times, finished on the podium 15 times, and won gold in nearly half of those finals (10 out of 23, 43%).
In his retirement announcement, Wu revealed that he spent much of 2025 training in long track speed skating—a discipline requiring different technique and stamina—in an effort to prolong his career. However, recurring injuries and the physical demands of the sport ultimately led to his retirement 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.”
Referring to Wu's expressed desire to compete further, 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 Professor
Wu's retirement coincides with the start of a new professional chapter. He has already begun his role as a professor at Jilin University (Changchun, Jilin, China), where he will be involved in sports science education and student mentorship. He also remains active in coaching emerging talent and promoting winter sports through charitable initiatives.
Wu Dajing at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics © VCG
“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 appreciation for his coaches, teammates, supporters, and the nation, and recalled his own inspiration as a child watching Yang Yang (A) (China’s first Winter Olympic gold medalist, 2002 Salt Lake City) on TV.” He concluded by stating his intention: “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 ice 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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