In short-track speed skating, no country has ever won as many medals at the Winter Olympics as South Korea. At the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, they are still menacing and are old rivals that the Chinese team cannot be despised. Although opponents from the Netherlands, Canada and other countries have increased significantly in recent years, the situation of continued confrontation between China and South Korea will be repeated in ten days.
A few days ago, South Korea announced the list of short track speed skating events for the Winter Olympics, including women's team members Choi Min-jing, Lee You-bin, Kim Ya-lang, Seo Hye-min, Park Ji-yun, and men's team members Hwang Dae-hyun, Lee Joon-seok, Park Jang-hyuk, Koo Yun-ki and Kim Dong-wook. Among them, Choi Min-jing, Lee You-bin, Kim Ya-lang, Hwang Dae-hyun, Lee Joon-sui and Park Jang-hyuk will participate in the individual and relay competitions, and Xu Huimin, Park Ji-yun, Guo Runqi and Kim Dong-wook will compete in the mixed relay competition between men and women.
Cui Minjing (left) won the silver medal in the 1000m of the World Cup in Hungary this season
In this list, the 23-year-old Choi Min-jing is the most dazzling, having won a total of three world championship gold medals before, winning 1500 meters and relay gold at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, becoming the Korean national hero of that Winter Olympics. In the following two seasons, Cui Minjing's career suffered twists and turns, handing over the first place in the overall ranking to the Netherlands' Shultin, while suffering from injuries.
In the 2021-2022 season, Cui Minjing made a perfect return and found her own form. Defeating Schulting in the World Cup in Dordrecht, the Netherlands, to win the gold medal in the 1000m, winning with her signature precision tactics and reaching her peak in the right time, cui Minjing will be one of the strongest players in the Beijing Winter Olympics if she can do this.
As one of the relay champions of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Li Youbin has played well in this season's World Cup, especially in the first place in the 1500 meters, as a strength player, she has a strong competitiveness in the long distance.
Li Youbin
The two South Korean women are looking forward to winning the women's relay in Beijing, and of course, they must defeat the world record holder, the powerful Dutch team. The Chinese women's team also has a certain strength in the relay event, and once won the gold medal in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
On the men's side, Hwang Dae-hyun led South Korea to more honors. As the silver medalist of the 500 meters at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Games, he has been a strong contender in the 500 meters and 1000 meters events, and to be able to participate in the Beijing Winter Olympics, Huang Daxian said that the opportunity is rare and will be doubly cherished, "It is not easy to get the opportunity from the Korean domestic selection competition, the competition between the players is fierce, and the quality of everyone's training is very high." The selection of the national team seems as difficult as winning on the world stage. ”
Park Chang-hyuk has also performed well in this season's World Cup, especially in the 1500m race. Veteran Guo Runqi also has a good play. In addition to striving for good results in the men's singles event and relay event, the South Korean team is also eyeing the mixed 2000 meters, a new event for the Winter Olympics, which has played best for the Chinese team in this season's World Cup.
Overall, the Korean team is competitive in all aspects, whether it is a men's and women's individual event, relay, or mixed relay events. However, in the end, whether it can achieve the goal of winning two golds as desired will be known on the field. In the winter Olympics of short-track speed skating, South Korea will also be one of the strong opponents of the Chinese team.
Image from Xinhua News Agency