Kazakhstan men’s short track team once again secured
a top spot at the Short Track Speed Skating World Tour in Milan, winning the
bronze medal. This achievement followed their historic gold medal win at the
9th Asian Winter Games (AWG) in Harbin. Upon their return, the athletes were solemnly
welcomed at Astana’s International Airport. In Italy, the Kazakh team
outperformed China’s strong team, finishing behind only the Italian and
Canadian athletes. The national team comprised Denis Nikisha, Gleb Ivchenko,
Adil Galiakhmetov, and Mersaid Zhaxybayev. According to Zhaxybayev,
participating in two major international competitions at once was challenging,
but their goal and belief in their abilities helped them succeed.
«At first, we were in shock. It was very
difficult because we had just won medals in Harbin, spent two hours packing,
and went straight to the airport. The flight to Milan took 11 hours and 15
minutes, which was exhausting. The first three days in Milan were tough due to the
8-hour time difference between Milan and Harbin. It was hard to process where
we were, and falling asleep and waking up was difficult. Despite this, we had
to compete in that state,» said the winner of 2025 Asian Winter Games and bronze
medalist of Short Track World Tour Mersaid Zhaxybayev.
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