India Makes History: Velkumar and Sharma Win Gold at Speed Skating World Championships

India scripted a historic moment in global skating as Anandkumar Velkumar clinched the country’s first-ever gold at the Speed Skating World Championships in China. The 22-year-old speedster powered to victory in the senior men’s 1000 m sprint with a timing of 1:24.924, becoming India’s first world champion in the sport.

The triumph came just a day after Velkumar had secured a historic bronze in the 500m sprint at the same championships in Beidaihe, clocking 43.072s to claim India’s first senior Worlds medal. Adding to the historic evening, Krish Sharma claimed the junior 1000 m sprint gold, completing a remarkable double for India at the championships.

Earlier this year, he had also made his mark at the World Games in Chengdu, earning a bronze in the 1000m sprint, India’s first medal in roller sports at the Games. Velkumar's meteoric rise has been defined by a series of landmark achievements that have steadily put India on the global skating map.

In 2021, he won silver in the 15 km elimination at the Junior World Championships, signalling his potential at the international stage. Two years later, he helped India win bronze in the 3000m team relay at the Asian Games in Hangzhou.

His World Games bronze in Chengdu in 2025 marked India’s first medal in roller sports at that prestigious event. Just days later, he added two more feathers to his cap with a bronze in the 500m sprint and a gold in the 1000m sprint at the World Championships, becoming India’s first-ever World Champion in speed skating.

Velkumar’s consistency and world-beating performances have shattered barriers in a sport traditionally dominated by European, Latin American, and East Asian athletes. His victories are already being hailed as revolutionary, signalling a turning point for Indian roller sports.

With medals spanning the Asian Games, World Games, Junior Worlds, and now the World Championships, Velkumar has firmly established himself as a trailblazer and a symbol of India’s growing presence on the global skating stage. His achievements represent not only personal triumphs but also a defining moment for India in a sport where the nation has historically had little presence.