Li Yuheng won several medals at a skating competitions heldin Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin province, in 2021. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

With the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games approaching, Li Yuheng's speed skating dream has become more real to him. He won't be in these Games, but they've supercharged his ambitions.

Li, 14, a skater from Antu county, Jilin province, has achieved a lot since he began learning the sport at Antu Youth Amateur Sports School at age 9. He has won several gold medals in provincial-level competitions, as well as silver and bronze medals in national-level competitions.

Right now, he is preparing for the 19th Jilin Provincial Games, which is to be held in March. But it's future Olympic glory that occupies his mind.

"I don't want to miss any chance to compete because I quite enjoy the feeling of skating on the ice," he said. "I hope I can improve quickly. My goal is eventually to win a medal in the Olympic Games."

Li Yuheng practices speed skating. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Virtually every day for the past five years, he gets up at 4:30 am for daily training with his coach, making countless adjustments to his form. Improving speed by even a few tenths of a second requires intense training.

To reach his full potential, Li was sent to Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture Sports School for professional training in 2018. Since then, his goal has been clear — to become a professional athlete.

"As long as he keeps training hard, he will be able to fulfill his dream to participate in the Olympics," said his coach, Li Zhunhao. "He is industrious and has a bright future."