Harbin: South Korean short track speed skaters have arrived in Harbin, China, for the upcoming Asian Winter Games, with ambitions to secure six gold medals. “We are looking at winning six gold medals or more,” stated head coach Yoon Jae-myung at Incheon International Airport, expressing confidence in the athletes’ preparedness.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the ninth Asian Winter Games will commence with the opening ceremony on Friday, and preliminary short track races are slated for earlier the same day. The first batch of five gold medals in short track will be contested on Saturday, followed by four more on Sunday.
Saturday’s events include the 2,000-meter mixed relay as the first final, alongside the men’s and women’s 1,500m and 500m finals. Sunday’s schedule features the men’s and women’s 1,000m finals, the women’s 3,000m relay, and the men’s 5,000m relay.
The women’s team is led by three-time Olympic champion Choi Min-jeong, who resumed competition this season after a break. She is joined by Kim Gil-li, current International Skating Union (ISU) World Cup overall champion, and Shim Suk-hee, a two-time Olympic gold medalist. Choi expressed a strategy to avoid collisions with Chinese competitors, aiming for a strong start in the relay.
Kim, fresh off winning five gold medals at the Winter World University Games in Italy, aims to replicate her success in Harbin. The men’s team, captained by Park Ji-won, includes Jang Sung-woo and Kim Gun-woo, with veteran Lee Jung-su competing in the relay.
The men’s competition includes formidable opponents such as South Korean-born Olympic champion Lin Xiaojun and the Liu brothers, former Hungarian gold medalists now representing China. Park emphasized the importance of mental preparedness, noting the competitive skill level of participants.
In the 2017 Asian Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan, South Korea claimed five out of eight available gold medals. Choi and Shim previously secured wins in the women’s 1,500m and 1,000m events, and both contributed to the 3,000m relay victory.