[Olympics] It Was Clearly a Fight Among Silver Medalists

Dramatic Victory Overcoming Various Hardships... Turbulent Atmosphere from Preparation, Roster Confirmation Not Smooth
Despite Consecutive Elimination Pressures, Last-Minute Outcourse Comeback Victory "No Regrets After Doing Our Best"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The process of winning the silver medal in the women's 3000m relay by the South Korean short track speed skating women's national team, once even labeled the "weakest ever," is a sports drama that carries meaning beyond the result. The women's team had been in turmoil in various ways until last month. Shim Seok-hee (Seoul City Hall), who had been a key player, was suspended for two months after messages she sent during the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, disparaging teammates Choi Min-jeong (Seongnam City Hall) and Kim A-lang (Goyang City Hall) to the team coach, were leaked.

The messages also contained content that made people suspect Shim Seok-hee intentionally collided with Choi Min-jeong. As the controversy spread, the team fell apart. The athletes suffered from extreme stress. In particular, Choi Min-jeong endured emotional hardship after injuring her knee and ankle in two collisions during the first World Cup event of the season.

The Korea Skating Union had not finalized the women's team roster for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics until just before the submission deadline last month. This was because Kim Ji-yoo (Gyeonggi General), who had broken her ankle during the World Cup and underwent surgery to insert a metal pin, expressed her intention to participate in the Olympics. She placed third in the national team selection trials. The Korea Skating Union replaced her on the team roster based on medical opinions that her physical condition was not fully recovered.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim Ji-yoo expressed her frustration, claiming she was unfairly stripped of her spot. Kim A-lang, who replaced her, could not hide her feelings of guilt. Park Ji-yoon (Korea National Sport University), who barely made it onto the relay team, felt the same. With such a series of setbacks, the team was labeled the weakest ever. They had little preparation time for the Olympics and had to compete under the added pressure of a warning to avoid contact with Chinese athletes.

Choi Min-jeong and Lee Yu-bin (Yonsei University) were eliminated in the 2000m mixed relay after Park Jang-hyuk (Sports Toto) fell. In the women's 500m quarterfinals, Choi Min-jeong lost her balance and fell. She won a silver medal in the women's 1000m but broke down in tears while holding the Taegeukgi (South Korean flag) in one hand. "I don't know why I am crying so much. The preparation process was very tough, and the difficult times culminated in this silver medal, which overwhelmed me. It would be a lie to say I have no regrets. I was simply happy in Pyeongchang, but this time I have a lot more emotions."

Choi Min-jeong, who was drenched in tears, regained her smile only after achieving a valuable result with her teammates. On the 13th, she, along with Kim A-lang, Lee Yu-bin, and Seo Hwi-min (Korea University), finished second in the women's 3000m relay final with a time of 4 minutes 3.627 seconds, behind the Netherlands (4 minutes 3.409 seconds). The team fluctuated between third and fourth place until the middle of the race. However, Kim A-lang attacked the inside lane with three laps remaining, overtaking China (4 minutes 3.863 seconds), and Choi Min-jeong sprinted on the outside lane to surpass Canada (4 minutes 4.329 seconds).

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The women's short track relay won gold medals at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Although they took silver this time, there is no disagreement that it was a precious achievement made under difficult circumstances. Choi Min-jeong said, "I have no regrets because this result was achieved by doing our best despite the unfavorable situation."

Kim A-lang emphasized, "It feels like we showed everything, so the silver medal is valuable. It is meaningful to win a silver medal under such unfavorable conditions." The athletes also did not forget their apologies toward Kim Ji-yoo and Park Ji-yoon. Park Ji-yoon did not compete in any race and, according to the International Skating Union (ISU) regulations, will not receive a silver medal. Lee Yu-bin said, "I'm sorry we couldn't share the silver medal together. I want to tell them they worked hard," adding, "Kim Ji-yoo also endured a lot with us for a long time. I really want to say sorry to her."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.