On November 27 local time, the 2025–26 IBSF Skeleton European Cup continued in Lillehammer, Norway. China’s Yan Wengang delivered an outstanding performance, winning the gold medal with a combined time of 1:43.13.
Four Chinese athletes competed in this event. Yan opened strong with a 51.52 run in the first heat—the fastest of the field—leading Germany’s Seibel by 0.01 seconds. In the second heat, he again topped all 45 competitors with a time of 51.61, further solidifying his lead.
With a two-run total of 1:43.13, Yan secured the gold medal, finishing 0.17 seconds ahead of silver medalist Seibel. The bronze went to Latvia’s Indriksons, last year’s Winter Youth Olympic champion, who clocked 1:43.34.
Among the other Chinese athletes, Yu Guoqing finished 14th with 1:44.44, Zhang Wenlong placed 17th with 1:44.60, and Zheng Ruojun ranked 21st at 1:45.02.
Winning gold in his first competition of the new season is a major confidence boost for Yan Wengang. At the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, Yan earned a historic bronze medal in men’s skeleton—the first Olympic medal for China in this event. As the Milan 2026 Winter Olympics approach, he remains one of China’s strongest medal contenders.
