Jung Jaewon and Park Jiwoo, Korea's leading long-distance speed skaters in the men's and women's events, have advanced to the mass start finals at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Jung will be aiming for a second consecutive medal in the Olympic mass start, having won silver in this event at the 2022 Beijing Games.
On the 21st (Korea time), at the Milan Speed Skating Stadium in Italy, Jung scored 21 points in the men's mass start semifinal at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, finishing third in Heat 1 and earning a spot in the final, which is awarded to the top eight skaters.
The mass start is contested over 16 laps of a 400 m track, with rankings determined by the points accumulated. The top six skaters receive points, with 60 points for first place, 40 for second, 20 for third, 10 for fourth, and so on. In addition, every fourth lap, the top three skaters earn 3, 2, and 1 bonus points, respectively.
Jung Jaewon (left) is racing in Heat 1 of the men's mass start semifinal in speed skating at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, held on the 21st (Korea time) at the Milan Speed Skating Stadium in Italy. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
Jung crossed the line in third place on the fourth lap to secure 1 point early. He then conserved his energy at the back of the pack before accelerating in the final stages to finish third at the line. Jung ultimately placed third with 21 points.
Cho Seungmin, who competed in Heat 2 of the semifinal, failed to advance to the final after finishing 13th out of 15 skaters without scoring any points.
Park Jiwoo also reached the final by finishing third with 20 points in Heat 2 of the women's semifinal.
Park stayed near the back of the field until the middle of the race, then moved up into the leading group from the 10th lap. She narrowly missed out on points as she crossed the 12th lap in fifth place.
However, with two laps remaining, Park surged to the front and ultimately crossed the finish line in third place, ending the race with 20 points.
Lim Riwon, who raced in Heat 1, failed to qualify for the final after finishing 10th without scoring any points.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
