In the interview, the 31-year-old Wu said he did not want a formal ceremony. "I entered skating quietly, from a state of obscurity. I feel there's no need to make a big deal of stepping down. Retiring quietly feels good for me," he said.

Wu serves as a coach at the Ice Sports Management Center under the Jilin Provincial Sports Bureau and teaches at the Physical Education College of Jilin University, according to the Xinhua Daily.

Born in Jiamusi, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Wu began skating at the age of 10 and joined China's national team at 16. Over his career, he won 124 medals, including 16 titles in the men's 500-meter short-track speed skating World Cup series. He also holds both the world and Winter Olympic records in the event.

In 2018, he won the men's 500-meter short-track speed skating gold at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. At the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, he helped China capture the mixed relay gold.

In October 2025, Wu told the People's Daily he hoped to continue competing and achieving in the sport he loves. "I've been working hard and persevering since the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. I hope to stand on the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games stage and give it my all," he said.

During the early part of the Milan Olympic cycle, Wu focused on recovering from injury and rehabilitation. Starting in 2025, he trained in long-track speed skating, a transition some international elite skaters make, though the two disciplines require different techniques and physical demands, according to the Xinhua Daily.

Wu admitted in an interview on December 7, 2025, that the transition was grueling. "It's very tiring. I've endured a lot of hardships," he said. However, he did not qualify in the national selection competition.

"So I guess this pretty much marks the end of my athletic career. I am now facing a transition. In competitive sports, everyone eventually encounters such a change, so I see this as a good opportunity for a new personal challenge," he said in an interview.

China's speed skating team has already completed three World Cup and Winter Olympic qualification events, in which Wu did not compete, the Xinhua Daily reported.

Global Times