Zhang Hong

www.facebook.com/zhanghong412
weibo.com/u/2185507431

When and where did you begin this sport?

She first tried ice skating in 1995 in Harbin, People's Republic of China. She began speed skating in 2008.

Other information	RETIREMENT She announced her retirement from competitive speed skating in February 2018. "I don't want to but I still have to say farewell. Farewell to speed skating, to the rink, to my dear teammates and to my opponents. 22 years in the sport have come to an end. But perhaps our paths will cross again." (Weibo profile, 19 Feb 2018; sports.163.com, 19 Feb 2018) AUTHOR She has written a book about winter sports that has been published in the People's Republic of China. "The book tells everyone about my sport - the history, the technology and the competitions. In addition to written text, there are also a lot of pictures and illustrations. It is intended for both children and adults." (schaatsen.nl, 13 Jul 2017)
Injuries	In October 2016 she began experiencing a cartilage-related issue in her right knee that developed into a chronic injury. By 2018 she was experiencing problems in her left knee as well. (thepaper.cn, 14 Feb 2018; OIS, 07 Feb 2018; Athlete, 13 Nov 2017; schaatsen.nl, 13 Jul 2017) She suffered from dyscrinism, a condition that affects a person's glands, from 2007 to 2009. (Athlete, 26 Feb 2016)
Hero / Idol	German speed skater Claudia Pechstein. (Athlete, 13 Nov 2017)
Most influential person in career	Coach Feng Qingbo. (Athlete, 13 Nov 2017)
Awards and honours	She was named the 2014 Breakthrough Athlete in the People's Republic of China in a ceremony sponsored by CCTV in February 2015. (163.com, 02 Feb 2015) In 2014 she was presented with the May 1st Labour Medal and the May 4th Youth Medal by the Heilongjiang provincial government in the People's Republic of China. (youth.cn, 27 Jan 2015)
Hobbies	Watching films, listening to music, reading English books, travel. (163.com, 06 Apr 2016; Weibo profile, 23 Nov 2015)
Memorable sporting achievement	Winning gold in the 1000m at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. (Athlete, 13 Nov 2017)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"Sport can change the world." (Athlete, 13 Nov 2017)
Milestones	Her victory in the 1000m at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi was the People's Republic of China's first Olympic gold medal in speed skating. (SportsDeskOnline, 11 Jun 2015; isu.org, 13 Feb 2014)