Indian inline speed skater Anandkumar Velkumar has etched his name in the country’s sporting history, securing India’s first-ever gold medal at the senior level of the Speed Skating World Championships.
The 22-year-old from Tamil Nadu clinched the gold in the highly competitive Senior Men’s 1000m Sprint event at the 2025 World Championships held in Beidaihe, China. Velkumar clocked an impressive time of 1:24.924 to outpace the field, which is traditionally dominated by powerhouses like Colombia, South Korea, and Italy.
This landmark victory follows his earlier success at the same championships, where he had also won a bronze medal in the 500m sprint, marking India’s inaugural senior World Championships medal in the sport.
A Momentous Achievement Velkumar’s phenomenal performance signals a major breakthrough for Indian roller sports on the global stage. Having previously won a silver at the Junior World Championships in 2021 and a bronze at the World Games earlier this year, his gold medal triumph elevates him to the status of a national icon and a world champion.
The unprecedented achievement is expected to provide a significant boost to the profile of speed skating in India, inspiring a new generation of athletes to take up non-traditional sports.
