He has just entered the history of Spanish sport. Nil Llop, a 23-year-old skater from El Prat, became the great pioneer, the first Spaniard to participate in the Olympic Games in speed skating, but he is not the only one. He … will focus on the 500 meter event, while his place in the 1,000 will be for Daniel Milagros. Llop attends ABC by videoconference from his home, where he returned a few hours ago, like nougat. He is a polite, respectful and intelligent young man. He takes his mission as ambassador of a little-known sport in Spain very seriously. He’s the Santana, the Ballesteros of skating.
Let’s start at the end. How did qualifying for the Games go?
Well, the first two World Cups went very well for me, they were on very fast tracks. I achieved good times and the points necessary to qualify for the ranking.
You always travel and train abroad, right?
Yes, this fall, I prepared in Calgary (Canada) with the group of my coach Sandra Gómez. In the summer we train on roller skates and in the fall/winter we train on the ice. Sandra is everything, my everything, my coach, my mother, my sister, my cousin. We are still together. She is also from Barcelona, from El Prat, like me.
You started skating as a child…
Yes. I have always skated. At 4 years old, I was already speed skating because my mother and uncles did it. I played football, but I escaped one day to go skating and since that day I haven’t taken off my skates.
🇪🇸Spain will be represented in speed skating at the 2026 Olympic Games.
📌Nil Llop virtually ensures his presence after the 🏆World Cup.
🥉The Barcelona native finished 3rd over 500m and 6th over 1000m. Unless there is a miracle, he will be in Milan.#MilanoCortinapic.twitter.com/AvkUWpYln7
– Second plane (@SegundoPlan0) November 25, 2025
How does this transition from wheels to blades take place?
Well, that was when I was 10 years old. And it concerned the Olympic candidacy of Barcelona-Pyrenees prepared for the 2022 Games. It all started there, already in search of the Olympic dream, what every athlete aspires to.
What are the differences between ice skating and roller skating?
They are very different, on the ice you face a rival, there are two lanes and it’s a bit like a time trial, the important thing is the time you get. On wheels it’s different, you compete against your rivals and gain laps if you beat them.
Which modality do you like the most?
It’s like mom and dad. It’s difficult to choose. They both have things I like.
Skating doesn’t have much impact…
Exact. Because it’s not Olympic.
What do you like most about ice cream?
Form. Incredible speeds are reached.
“Incredible speeds are reached on the ice; “I reached over 60 kilometers per hour.”
What was your maxim?
They recorded between 60 and 61 kilometers per hour top speed. And the truth is that I really enjoy these speeds, you have to be very focused and you have to take good care of your skates to be able to go fast. I love it all, the way the ice squeaks when you push… these sensations cannot be explained with words.
You go faster on ice, meaning if you cover 500 meters in 35 seconds, how long will it take you to do it on wheels?
Well, in about 40 seconds on a good track.
You go faster than Usain Bolt, who was measured at 44 kilometers per hour.
Well yes, we’re going faster, hahaha.
What’s the worst thing about being an ice skater?
Well, since I was little, I have had to spend every winter away from home. It’s hard. I have gone through very difficult times since I was very little. Unfortunately we do not have facilities in Spain. Now I accept it because you are maturing, but when I was a child this topic made me very angry. You spend from September to March far from home, far from your loved ones. What keeps you going is the dream. I had a very clear Olympic goal from a very young age. And I combined skating and studying well. The Blume school, in Esplugues, allowed me to study remotely in the winter.
You are a pioneer. Do you think your successes will help ensure the existence of ice speed tracks in our country?
Hopefully. But it’s difficult. Maintaining these installations is expensive, millions of euros. It has to be in a very cold place and you have to look for investors. It’s not easy.
I guess lactate hurts in these tests.
Yes, it’s hard, even if in a way, we get a little taste for it.
“We have to get a taste for lactate and leg pain, because if we don’t take the lead”
Yeah? Do you like this feeling?
You have to take it by force…otherwise they will catch up with you. It’s difficult to explain, because when you’re very tired, your legs really hurt.
You are very fast. Have you ever run the 100 meters?
No, I know I’m fast because during the pre-season we race. But a good athlete beats me, that’s for sure.
Do you train a lot of weight?
Yes, lots of strengthening, mobility exercises, hip work… everything contributes to improvement. You have to take curves at 60 kilometers per hour, feel the lactate, hold it, keep pushing… you have to train a lot.
You are a pure sprinter.
Yes. I’m better at 500 yards than at 1,000.
Do you take care of your diet?
Yes a lot. And I take supplements.
Do you take creatine?
Yes, of course, every day. Everyone already takes it, even non-athletes, hahaha!
“Everyone already takes creatine, even non-athletes”
Which skater do you admire?
Jordan Stolz, a 21-year-old American who is very good.
A Spanish athlete?
Clear. Nadal, Alcaraz, the Gasols, Fernando Alonso… They are references for me, I am used to reading their biographies and I hope to get closer to them.
How many ice skaters are there in Spain?
There are 40 of us.
And in the elite group?
Now there are six of us.
Which Spanish juniors are coming in strong?
Sergi Alvarez and Ona Rodriguez.
What is Spain missing to become a power on the ice?
Well, I think that to understand it you have to know that there are countries in which, instead of playing football, children go to the lake to skate. It’s a question of tradition, of facilities, of investing money in skaters…
What plans do you have now?
We have the European Championships, in Poland, on January 6.
What a day!
Already. That’s how it is. The Three Kings don’t exist for me: I’m always in competition. Me, training and skating. It’s my Three Kings Day.
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