China's Olympic champion Gao Tingyu will sit out the remainder of the current season to focus on recovering from injuries, his coach Liu Guangbin has confirmed.

Gao claimed three gold medals from the men's 100m, 500m, and team sprint events at the Asian Winter Games in Harbin in February. At the ongoing ISU World Cup in Heerenveen, Netherlands, he placed fourth in the 500m Division B with a time of 35.12 seconds.

According to Liu, the 27-year-old will withdraw from Sunday's second 500m race in Heerenveen, as well as the upcoming ISU World Single Distance Championships in Hamar, Norway later this month. The decision allows Gao more time to treat and recover from injuries that have affected him in recent years.

Gao made history at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, becoming China's first male speed skater to win an Olympic gold medal with his 500m victory. He took a 21-month break to rehabilitate a waist injury before returning to international competition in November 2023.

Since Gao's comeback, knee and thigh injuries have continued to hamper his efforts to regain top form, said Liu.

Gao, with a bronze from PyeongChang 2018 and a gold from Beijing 2022, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview that he set eyes on winning a medal at Milano-Cortina 2026.

"I aim to be on the podium once again, aiming for a third consecutive appearance," he said, adding that "a gold would be perfect."

The 2026 Winter Olympics will be held from February 6 to 22.

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