The 27-year-old South Korean short track speed skating national team "First Brother" Park Ji-won has had a painful time lately. At the 2024 International Skating Union (ISU) World Championships, which is related to the automatic selection of national team representatives in the 2024-2025 season, he was fouled by Huang Daxian, a junior of the national team, and failed to obtain the "Tai Chi Badge". If he does not make the national team next season, Park Ji-won will miss the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo. Fortunately, Park Ji-won participated in the national team selection tournament held not long ago, and stood out in the fierce competition, winning the national team representative qualification for next season with the first place in the men's group.
Park Ji-won posed before being interviewed by Korean media at a café in Yeonnam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul on the 29th.
South Korean media revealed that after the national team trials, Park Ji-won met with Hwang Dae-heon, which ended the controversy of the national team's "infighting". On the 29th, South Korean media reporters met Park Ji-won at a café in Yeonnam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, who seemed to hide painful memories in his heart.
When he heard the words "should be tired", Park Ji-won smiled and said, "I survived." Daxian plucked up the courage to come over and sincerely apologize. I was also ready (to accept the apology), so we had a sincere conversation. He added indifferently: "If it is a senior, you should accept the apology of the junior." Now I'm going to run for Korean short track speed skating. ”
Park Ji-won, the first brother of South Korean short track speed skating, was knocked off the track by teammate Hwang Dae-heon at the 2024 World Championships
Although it is said casually, it is not an easy decision to make. Hwang Dae-heon's multiple fouls almost cost Park Ji-won the possibility of participating in the 2026 Winter Olympics, and judging from the current situation, Park Ji-won is the "pioneer" of the South Korean men's short track speed skating team to win gold. He won the men's overall title in the 2022-2023 International Skating Union (ISU) Short Track Speed Skating World Cup Series, and in the 2023-2024 season, he did not miss the world No. 1 position, winning the "Crystal Ball" trophy for two consecutive years. Park Ji-won, who has occupied the world No. 1 throne for two consecutive years, firmly believes that he will wear the national team jersey to participate in the 2025 Harbin Asian Winter Games in the new season, paving the way for participating in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Hwang Dae-heon (right) who fouled Park Ji-won (left) at the World Championships
Park Ji-won, who ended a series of unexpected events, also re-stood on the starting line with a different perception. He said: "The Asian Winter Games and the Winter Olympics are stages that I have never experienced. Although I participated a little later than the other contestants, I was excited to take on a new stage. He exclaimed: "First of all, I will make up for the lack of the new season and complete the perfect run." Korean media said that it seems that South Korean short track speed skating ace Park Ji-won is going to open the second chapter of his career.