Dutch Skater's Medal Dream Shattered by Collision with Chinese Rival

Dutch speed skating prodigy Jup Benemars, 23, failed to secure his first Olympic medal after a collision with China's Lian Ziwen, 27.

A rare incident unfolded during the men's 1000m event at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics, held at the Milan Speed Skating Stadium on February 12.

Starting from the inner lane in heat 11, Benemars was on pace for a medal with an explosive race. However, disaster struck in the lane-change section after the corner. Lian, moving from the inner to outer lane, clipped Benemars' skate blade, causing the Dutch skater to lose balance and momentum.

Despite the collision, Benemars crossed the finish line in 1:07.58, placing first at the time. Officials disqualified Lian for the reckless lane change. Under the rules, skaters moving from the outer to inner lane have right of way during lane exchanges.

After all heats concluded, Benemars' final ranking dropped to fifth place—just 0.24 seconds behind the bronze medal time. Without the collision, he had been on pace for the podium.

Benemars immediately requested a re-race. He took to the ice alone, but having already expended his energy, he could not recover his rhythm or breathing. Despite his best effort, he failed to improve his time. He buried his face in his hands and hung his head in disappointment.

"I was following my racing line when the Chinese skater blocked my path," Benemars said in a post-race interview. "It breaks my heart that my Olympic dream has been shattered." He expressed confidence that he would have won a medal without the incident.

"Racing alone without competition was unfair, but a re-race was my only chance at a medal," he added. "In two days, I'll just be another athlete without a medal. I feel like crying."

When asked about Lian's apology, Benemars refused to accept it. "An apology doesn't help when you've been robbed of your opportunity," he said.

Dutch coach Jak Ori also criticized the incident. "Athletes put in tremendous effort for the Olympics. It's hard to accept this kind of interference," he said.

The bronze medal went to China's Ning Zhongyan, who recorded 1:07.34. Ning waited for Benemars' re-race result before celebrating with his coaching staff upon confirmation of the bronze.

"Waiting for Benemars' re-race was nerve-wracking," Ning said. "Today's bronze medal shows that the past four years of effort were not in vain."