Skater Anandkumar Velkumar makes history, gets India first-ever gold at Speed Skating World C’ships

BEIJING:Indian skater Anandkumar Velkumar made history, securing the nation its first-ever gold medal at the Speed Skating World Championships in China on Monday.

The 22-year-old skater won the top prize in senior men’s 1,000 m sprint with a time of 1:24.924, as per ESPN.

The triumph just came days after Velkumar had secured a historic bronze in the 500 m sprint event in the same championship event at Beidaihe, clocking 43.072s to claim India’s first senior world championship medal.

What a glorious moment for Indian sports!
Anandkumar Velkumar clinches Gold in the 1000m Sprint at the Speed Skating World Championship 2025, becoming the first-ever Indian World Champion in the sport.
Proud of you, Champ! pic.twitter.com/DbXd4NowX4

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) September 15, 2025

The icing on the cake for India was some additional success in junior competition, with youngster Krish Sharma securing a 1,000 m sprint gold medal.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, a former Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports from 2019-21, hailed Anandkumar for his historic triumph on X, posting,

“What a glorious moment for Indian sports! Anandkumar Velkumar clinches Gold in the 1000m Sprint at the Speed Skating World Championship 2025, becoming the first-ever Indian World Champion in the sport. Proud of you, Champ!”
The Speed Skating World Championships started in Beidaihe on September 13 and will continue until September 21. (ANI)