BEIJING (REUTERS) - Gao Tingyu won China its first men's speed skating gold on Saturday (Feb 12), smashing the Olympic record to cross the finish line in 34.32 seconds, as spectators cheered him on in the men's 500 metres at the Beijing Olympics.

He set the pace early as the seventh pairing out of 15, finishing the single lap around the 400m oval in a time that his rivals failed to beat.

Cha Min Kyu of South Korea claimed silver in 34.39 seconds and Wataru Morishige of Japan took bronze in 34.49.

Gao became the first Chinese man to win an Olympic medal in speed skating four years ago, when he won bronze in the same event.