China's Olympic debutant Ning skates under home pressure

BEIJING - Ning Zhongyan glided to the line, bent in anticipation of the starting gun, gave it all that he's got, and rushed out amid loud cheers inside the National Speed Skating Oval.

In one minute and 8.60 seconds, the Chinese young skater dashed home, with a blank expression.

The home medal hopeful promoted his personal best result in an Olympic Games to a fifth place finishing in the men's 1,000m. A few days earlier, he finished a disappointing seventh in his specialty of 1,500m.