Maryna Zuyeva
The Winter Olympics kick off today in Italy. Starting tomorrow, the world's top speed skaters will meet at the Milan stadium for thrilling races that demand high speeds and a strong focus on results. Representing Belarus in the Olympic speed skating events will be Maryna Zuyeva, an athlete with extensive competitive experience. Yulia Komleva, the chairperson of the Belarusian Speed Skating Union, spoke with BelTA about the athlete's preparation for the Olympics and the selection process for the Games.
Result of tremendous work
Maryna Zuyeva has two Olympic Games under her belt. While she has yet to win a medal, she has proven herself competitive among the world's best. At the 2018 PyeongChang Games, she placed seventh in the 5,000m and in 2022 in Beijing, she finished ninth in the same distance. At the 2026 Olympic Games, Maryna Zuyeva will compete in her signature events: the 3,000m and 5,000m races.
Like her counterparts in other winter sports, Maryna Zuyeva was unable to compete in international events for three years. It wasn't until May 2025 that the International Skating Union (ISU) released list of athletes clearing them to participate in 2025/26 Olympic qualifying events. Maryna Zuyeva did not miss her chance and secured Olympic the berths in both the 3,000m and 5,000m events.
Yulia Komleva calls this the result of tremendous effort and experience. “The selection process for the Olympics in speed skating is highly demanding, requiring top-tier results and maximum dedication from the athlete. Only the strongest make it through. For instance, in the 5,000m event, only 12 athletes out of 60 secure quotas. Maryna made it into the top group by delivering her personal best on a flat oval stadium and even shaving 10 seconds off her previous best. This fact alone clearly demonstrates that our athlete is strong and competitive,” Yulia Komleva explained. “Maryna has done a great job this season. She followed the entire training plan without deviation. She performed well in all scheduled competitions and showed strong results at the World Cup stages. This season, Maryna has been performing consistently and confidently, as befits a high‑class professional athlete, which gives us cause for optimism,” said Yulia Komleva.
Result of tremendous work
Maryna Zuyeva has two Olympic Games under her belt. While she has yet to win a medal, she has proven herself competitive among the world's best. At the 2018 PyeongChang Games, she placed seventh in the 5,000m and in 2022 in Beijing, she finished ninth in the same distance. At the 2026 Olympic Games, Maryna Zuyeva will compete in her signature events: the 3,000m and 5,000m races.
Like her counterparts in other winter sports, Maryna Zuyeva was unable to compete in international events for three years. It wasn't until May 2025 that the International Skating Union (ISU) released list of athletes clearing them to participate in 2025/26 Olympic qualifying events. Maryna Zuyeva did not miss her chance and secured Olympic the berths in both the 3,000m and 5,000m events.
Yulia Komleva calls this the result of tremendous effort and experience. “The selection process for the Olympics in speed skating is highly demanding, requiring top-tier results and maximum dedication from the athlete. Only the strongest make it through. For instance, in the 5,000m event, only 12 athletes out of 60 secure quotas. Maryna made it into the top group by delivering her personal best on a flat oval stadium and even shaving 10 seconds off her previous best. This fact alone clearly demonstrates that our athlete is strong and competitive,” Yulia Komleva explained. “Maryna has done a great job this season. She followed the entire training plan without deviation. She performed well in all scheduled competitions and showed strong results at the World Cup stages. This season, Maryna has been performing consistently and confidently, as befits a high‑class professional athlete, which gives us cause for optimism,” said Yulia Komleva.
As Yulia Komleva explained, Maryna Zuyeva prepared for the Olympic qualifying round and then for the main competitions of the four‑year cycle alongside the Chinese team, under the guidance of the former head coach of the Belarusian national team, Sergei Minin. The coach and the athlete have been working together for a long time and this tandem has proved to be a success. During her suspension from international competitions, this training plan secured medals for Maryna Zuyeva at Belarusian and Russian tournaments. A decision was made not to alter plans ahead of the Olympics. Maryna completed her training cycle in Inzell, one of the world’s top speed‑skating venues.
What about the mass start? There is hope
In addition to the planned 3,000‑ and 5,000‑meter events, Maryna Zuyeva may also compete in the mass start, for which she is currently listed as an alternate. “Unfortunately, Maryna had not made it into the top 24 to qualify for the mass start. The fall at the World Cup stage in the USA reduced her chances. Maryna currently holds 29th place overall, and at the Olympics, the top 30 athletes qualify for the mass start, taking into account results from individual distances. Therefore, there is a good chance we will still see Maryna in the Olympic mass start. However, I must point out that qualifying for this event has become significantly more difficult this year, especially for an athlete who did not compete last season and is starting in Group B.”
Maryna Zuyeva is an experienced competitor. There are also athletes in Belarusian speed skating who could follow a similar path to success.
For example, Palina Sivets shows her best results precisely in the long-distance events. In December 2025, the young athlete took third place at the Russian Speed Skating Championships in the 5,000m and was fifth in the 3,000m. The times Palina clocks are competitive for podium places at the junior World Cup stages. It’s likely that soon this athlete, too, will demonstrate her abilities at major competitions. For now, all attention is on Maryna Zuyeva. The head of the Belarusian Skating Union is concise here: “We expect high results from Maryna and sincerely wish her luck.”
What you need to know about the Olympic speed skating events
Athletes will compete in a total of 14 medal events: team pursuit, mass start, and 12 individual races. The maximum distance for women is 5,000m, and for men - 10,000m. Over 160 speed skaters from 24 countries will compete at the 2026 Olympic Games.
In the women’s program, three-time Olympic champion Martina Sáblíková of the Czech Republic will line up for the long-distance events. Two-time Olympic champion Miho Takagi from Japan poses a serious challenge in the 1500 m, and the Netherlands’ five-time world champion Femke Kok is a force to be reckoned with in the sprint events. Russia will be represented under a neutral status by Kseniia Korzhova (a six-time champion of Russia and a silver medalist at the Junior World Championships), who will compete in the same event as Maryna Zuyeva - the 3,000m. Another Russian athlete, Anastasiia Semenova, also possesses strong potential in the mass start.
Among the men, close attention will be focused on the performance of six-time world champion Jordan Stolz of the USA, who specializes in short distances. The gold medals in the 1500m at the two previous Olympics were won by Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands; in Milan, he will be competing for a third Olympic gold. In the mass start, Olympic champion Bart Swings of Belgium will not let his chance slip. There is no male representation from Belarus or Russia in speed skating at these Olympic Games.
Valeriya Stetsko,
photos by the Belarusian Skating Union, the National Olympic Committee, and BelTA.
What you need to know about the Olympic speed skating events
Athletes will compete in a total of 14 medal events: team pursuit, mass start, and 12 individual races. The maximum distance for women is 5,000m, and for men - 10,000m. Over 160 speed skaters from 24 countries will compete at the 2026 Olympic Games.
In the women’s program, three-time Olympic champion Martina Sáblíková of the Czech Republic will line up for the long-distance events. Two-time Olympic champion Miho Takagi from Japan poses a serious challenge in the 1500 m, and the Netherlands’ five-time world champion Femke Kok is a force to be reckoned with in the sprint events. Russia will be represented under a neutral status by Kseniia Korzhova (a six-time champion of Russia and a silver medalist at the Junior World Championships), who will compete in the same event as Maryna Zuyeva - the 3,000m. Another Russian athlete, Anastasiia Semenova, also possesses strong potential in the mass start.
Among the men, close attention will be focused on the performance of six-time world champion Jordan Stolz of the USA, who specializes in short distances. The gold medals in the 1500m at the two previous Olympics were won by Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands; in Milan, he will be competing for a third Olympic gold. In the mass start, Olympic champion Bart Swings of Belgium will not let his chance slip. There is no male representation from Belarus or Russia in speed skating at these Olympic Games.
Valeriya Stetsko,
photos by the Belarusian Skating Union, the National Olympic Committee, and BelTA.
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