Pavel Aleksandrovich Kulizhnikov (born April 20, 1994) is a Russian speed skater who specializes in the sprint distances of 500 meters and 1,000 meters. He is a multiple-time world champion and a former world record holder in both sprint disciplines.
Kulizhnikov rose to international prominence during the 2014–2015 season. In 2015, he became the first speed skater to complete the 500-meter race in under 34 seconds, setting a world record of 33.98 seconds in Salt Lake City. He later lowered this record to 33.61 seconds in 2019. In 2020, he set a world record in the 1,000-meter distance with a time of 1:05.69, becoming the first person to break the 1:06 barrier.
His competitive record includes multiple gold medals at the World Single Distance Championships and the World Sprint Championships. He has also secured numerous overall titles in the ISU Speed Skating World Cup.
Kulizhnikov's career has been marked by periods of absence from international competition. In 2012, he served a two-year ban following a positive test for methylhexanamine. In 2016, he tested positive for meldonium; however, the International Skating Union (ISU) lifted his provisional suspension after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) issued guidance regarding the substance's excretion timelines, as it had only been added to the prohibited list earlier that year.
Throughout his career, Kulizhnikov has represented Russia in various international competitions, though his participation in certain Olympic Games was restricted due to broader sanctions imposed on the Russian Olympic Committee and his previous doping violation.
