Barely three hours after winning its first gold in Sochi, China has another one. Zhang Hong surprised the field by posting a sensational time early in the women’s 1000 m (long track) speed skating event, that was simply too good for the rest. Her winning time of 1:14.02, set in the 7th of 18 heats (the best skaters typically go towards the end), was a massive 0.67 ahead of second place.

She finished 4th in the 500 m event on Tuesday, and this was known to be her stronger event, but it’s still a stunning result. It’s also China’s first Olympic title in speed skating (the official name for long track, as opposed to short track, in which China has long excelled). Perhaps it’s the little bit of magic needed to spark the rest of the team. More to follow in the morning…