[Olympics] '7th in the World' Kim Minseon Challenges Limits in 1000m

Kim Min-seon is sprinting during the official speed skating training held on the 16th at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, China. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Kim Minseon (Uijeongbu City Hall), the new face of women's speed skating who competed in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, is preparing for another upset in the 1000m race on the 17th. If Kim Minseon proves her potential in the final event of the competition, the 1000m, a top 5 finish or better is possible.

Kim Minseon performed well in the 500m on the 13th, finishing 7th with a time of 37.60 seconds. She improved her ranking by 9 places from 16th at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Although the 500m is Kim Minseon's main event, expectations are high for her performance in the 1000m as well. Kim Minseon has been improving her skills, setting a personal best of 1 minute 14.10 seconds at the recent International Skating Union (ISU) World Cup Stage 3.

In particular, if she can address her weaknesses in the 500m to 1000m range, a new personal record is also expected.

Born in 1999, Kim Minseon is only 22 years old. There is a strong possibility that her skills will further develop by the next Winter Olympics. In fact, Erin Jackson of the United States, who won the gold medal in the 500m at this event, is 30 years old, and Miho Takagi, the surprise silver medalist, is 28 years old.

This time, by finishing 7th in the 500m, Kim Minseon has raised expectations for entering the medal contention at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics.

Meanwhile, Kim Minseon became a topic of conversation when her teammates put up a paper sign at the dormitory reading "Earth's 7th Best," meaning she is the seventh best in the world at the 500m. Kim Minseon said, "Since my condition is not bad, I want to prepare well and break my personal record in the 1000m."

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