MILAN, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese speed skater Yin Qi is looking for more ways to remain on Olympic ice for the long term, whether as an athlete or eventually as a coach.

Photo: Xinhua

Yin placed 12th in the women's 1,000 meters on Monday with a time of 1 minute, 15.87 seconds, improving on her 15th-place finish at her Winter Olympic debut at the Beijing Games in 2022.

"Overall, I felt quite clear-headed in my skating today," Yin said. "Step by step, from technical execution to other aspects, everything was fairly normal. The tactical plan and energy distribution were also pretty good."

After Beijing 2022, Yin chose to study overseas, joining a university-based training program in Canada as she began thinking seriously about a future coaching career. Her long-held ambition, she said, is to remain part of the Olympic movement across multiple Games.

"I want to keep making progress for Chinese speed skating. I want to learn more," Yin said. "There are many coaches who have been to six, 10 or even 11 Olympic Games. I hope that at every Olympic Games, I can still be on the ice."

Yin said studying abroad has been demanding but left little time for loneliness, with her days filled by classes and training from early morning until evening.

"The biggest change is that it's much harder," she said with a laugh. "But I've gained a lot."

She said the experience has strengthened her ability to analyze problems and make adjustments during races.

"I've gained much more experience, and my mind is definitely sharper than it was years ago," she said.

That approach was evident in Monday's race, where Yin applied additional force through one leg during her sprint, an adjustment she described as a tactical experiment.

"During my training abroad, I've watched many athletes and different skating styles," she said. "I tried borrowing sprinting elements from the 500 meters. I thought that if I could be faster, even by a little, it might help, so I gave it a try."

Yin said she once dreamed of attending elite universities in China while balancing her skating career, a goal she believes she has now achieved through a different path.

"I chose to go abroad instead," she said. "More importantly, I wanted to see how overseas training systems work, what we can learn from them and where our own strengths lie."

At 33, Yin said the Milan-Cortina Games will not necessarily mark the end of her career.

"Never say never," she said. "Honestly, I haven't even thought beyond my 1,500 meters yet. Right now, I'm just focused on the next race."

"I just want to skate every meter well."