WARSAW－Polish speed skater Zbigniew Brodka says bringing the curtain down on his career at Beijing 2022 is a dream come true.

Brodka claimed the men's 1,500m title at the 2014 Games in Sochi, becoming the first Pole to win gold in the discipline. In October 2019, he quit skating to become a firefighter, but returned to the ice in 2020, hoping to secure a ticket to the Beijing Winter Games.

Now with his fourth and final Games around the corner, Brodka is thrilled to have the chance to bow out of speed skating on the Olympic stage in Beijing.

"Of course my fourth Winter Olympics is like a dream come true as I'm almost 38," Brodka told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"I realize that I cannot physically achieve more. I have already won the Olympic gold, and it's proof that I climbed to the top. During Beijing 2022, I would like to say goodbye to the fans," he said.

Brodka explained that it is especially poignant for him to end his skating career in the Chinese capital.

"After I retired I thought about restarting my career and ending it in Beijing. For me, it's natural to say goodbye when I'm on the track. I started my great adventure at the world youth championships in Beijing. That competition, which took place in 2003, was exceptional for me. It was my first such big event. I remember it as an awesome experience."

Brodka is hoping to go out on a high in the mass start race, although he says he's approaching his medal bid with no pressure on his shoulders.

"I've managed to stand on the Olympic podium before, so in Beijing, I don't have to prove anything. At the Winter Olympics, I will race in a competition in which every starter has a chance to win a medal. It would be nice to have a surprise, but I don't expect too much", he said.

Glory or no glory, Brodka admitted that Beijing 2022 will be an emotional experience for him.

"The era in which I have competed at the highest level will be over soon," he added. "For sure the last race will be a hard moment for me, but I'm very happy that I could compete at the highest level for nearly 20 years."

Xinhua