Yang Jingru wins 1500m semi-final after mass crash

Yang Jingru skating alone on the ice while rivals slide into the crash pads in the background during the 1500m semi-final

China’s Yang Jingru has claimed victory in an extraordinary women’s 1500m speed skating semi-final at the 2026 Winter Olympics after being the only athlete to avoid a mass crash.

The race descended into absolute mayhem as six of the seven competitors fell to the ice during the heat.

It left Yang as the sole survivor on the track in a contest described as “extraordinary” by onlookers.

A race of attrition

With her rivals sliding helplessly into the padding, the Chinese skater crossed the line unopposed to book her place in the next round.

Short track speed skating is renowned for its unpredictability and high-speed collisions, but a wipeout of this magnitude is incredibly rare at the elite level.

The incident clears a dramatic and unexpected path for the 1500m contenders as the competition moves toward the medal races.

This dramatic event highlights the fragile nature of Olympic dreams in a sport where disaster is often just a blade’s width away.