Lee Seung-hoon and Mantia, Rankings Decided by 0.002 Seconds After Photo Review
"No Intentional Action... Something That Can Happen in Mass Start"
Lee Seung-hoon crosses the finish line in 3rd place in the men's mass start speed skating final at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, held on the 19th at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, China. On the right is Mantiya from the United States. Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Park] In the men's mass start speed skating final at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Joey Mantia (USA), who finished 4th by a mere 0.002 seconds, expressed regret over missing a medal, pointing out an 'unintentional foul' by Lee Seung-hoon (IHQ), who placed 3rd.
Nevertheless, Mantia acknowledged, "I admit that my thoughts are biased in my favor," adding, "I do not believe Lee Seung-hoon intentionally grabbed my arm. Such incidents can happen in mass start races," accepting the ruling.
On the 20th (Korean time), USA Today reported Mantia's feelings after narrowly missing a medal by finishing 4th.
In the men's mass start final held the previous day at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, China, a fierce battle unfolded among those placing 2nd to 5th. Jung Jaewon (Uijeongbu City Hall), who finished 2nd, completed the race in 7 minutes 47.18 seconds, followed by Lee Seung-hoon and Mantia, who crossed the finish line at 7 minutes 47.20 seconds.
After photo review, it was determined that Lee Seung-hoon reached the finish line at 7 minutes 47.204 seconds, and Mantia at 7 minutes 47.206 seconds, with the ranking decided by a 0.002-second difference.
Mantia explained to USA Today, "Until just before crossing the finish line, my skate blade was ahead of Lee Seung-hoon's. But then Lee extended his blade ahead again. I felt Lee slightly grabbed my arm. After the race, I told my coach, 'Lee grabbed me.'"
After the race, the U.S. team protested to the referees, but the results did not change. USA Today reported, "The protesting U.S. coaching staff was not confident that the results would change."
According to the report, when Lee Seung-hoon was asked by the U.S. commentators whether there was physical contact with Mantia, he replied, "It was a chaotic situation before the finish line, so I don't remember. I thought Mantia was catching up to me, and I was not sure of my position. Ultimately, after photo review, I placed 3rd."
Finally, Mantia said, "I gave my best race and was confident I could win the bronze medal. I had been suffering from back pain for a long time, but my back condition was good on race day. That makes the result even more disappointing," adding, "There are days when things just don't go well. Maybe the 19th was one of those days," he lamented.
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