Anandkumar Velkumar has scripted a golden chapter in Indian sporting history by winning India’s first-ever gold medal at the Speed Skating World Championships.

The 22-year-old speedster clinched the senior men’s 1000m sprint title with a timing of 1:24.924s, becoming the first Indian World Champion in speed skating.

This triumph comes just a day after his historic bronze medal in the 500m sprint at the same championships in Beidaihe, where he clocked 43.072s to secure India’s first senior Worlds medal.

Earlier this year in Chengdu, Velkumar also earned India’s maiden medal at the World Games, taking bronze in the 1000m sprint with a timing of 1:22.482s.

His meteoric rise has been marked by several landmark achievements:

2025 — Gold in 1000m sprint at World Championships (India’s first World Champion in speed skating)

2025 — Bronze in 500m sprint at World Championships (India’s first senior Worlds medal)

2025 — Bronze in 1000m sprint at the World Games, Chengdu (India’s first medal in roller skating at the Games)

2023 — Bronze in 3000m team relay at the Asian Games, Hangzhou

2021 — Silver in 15 km elimination at the Junior World Championships

Velkumar’s consistency has shattered barriers for India in a sport traditionally dominated by European, Latin American, and East Asian athletes.

His world-beating gold medal is already being hailed as revolutionary and monumental on social media, with experts calling it a turning point for Indian roller sports.

With medals across the Asian Games, World Games, Junior Worlds, and now the World Championships, Velkumar stands as a symbol of India’s growing presence in global skating.

Krish Sharma added a junior 1000m sprint gold in the same evening.