[Olympics] Bandage Fighting Spirit Park Jang-hyeok, Mental Strengthening Kim A-rang... Short Track Gold Hunt Resumes

Official Training Ahead of Today's Match
Lee Junseo and Lee Yubin Race Against Chinese Players

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The short track speed skating national team, which participated in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, will once again hunt for their first medals on the 9th at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China. The team’s morale had been dampened due to the early elimination of promising athlete Choi Min-jeong (Seongnam City Hall) and unfair rulings favoring China. The key now is to regain physical and mental composure. Fortunately, the athletes took part in official training on the afternoon of the 8th. Park Jang-hyuk (Sports Toto), who had a torn left hand during competition, appeared wrapped tightly in bandages and skated on the rink.

In the men’s 1500m race, which will proceed continuously until the finals that day, Hwang Dae-heon (Gangwon Province Office), Lee Jun-seo (Korea National Sport University), and Park Jang-hyuk are scheduled to compete. Lee Jun-seo will face China’s Sun Long in the second heat of the quarterfinals. Hwang Dae-heon, in the third heat, and Park Jang-hyuk, in the fourth heat, avoided competing against Chinese athletes. However, Park Jang-hyuk’s participation is uncertain due to his injured left hand. Park said, “Fortunately, the muscles and nerves were mostly spared.”

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The problem lies in rulings that favor China. The team practiced minimizing contact while navigating the course. However, the referees disqualified athletes even without any contact. Leading the race from the front early on results in greater air resistance and higher energy consumption. The strategy of avoiding Chinese or medal-contending athletes until mid-race is risky as the skill levels of the athletes have become more evenly matched. Hwang Dae-heon said, “I hope such rulings don’t happen going forward. To prevent that, I need to show a cleaner race.”

Among the female athletes, Lee Yu-bin (Yonsei University) will race against Chinese athlete Zhang Chudong in the 1000m preliminaries. Choi Min-jeong and Kim A-lang (Goyang City Hall) were placed in heats 1 and 6 respectively, avoiding Chinese competitors. They also will not face China in the 3000m relay semifinals, where they will compete alongside Seo Hwi-min (Korea University) and Park Ji-hyun (Korea National Sport University). Kim A-lang, the eldest member of the short track team, said, “I have received many messages from family and friends telling me not to worry about the atmosphere and just do what I usually do,” expressing her determination to do her best.