[Olympics] 'Final Sprint' Bobsleigh Team Won Yoonjong, 4th Run 59.59 Seconds

by Kim Heeyun

Published 20 Feb.2022 13:03(KST)

Final 59.59 seconds, Overall Record 3 minutes 58.02 seconds

On the 19th, at the National Sliding Center in Yanqing, Beijing, China, the team of Won Yoon-jong, Kim Jin-su, Jung Hyun-woo, and Kim Dong-hyun made a powerful start in the first run of the men's four-man bobsleigh event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] The South Korean Olympic team’s last event participant, the bobsleigh team led by Won Yoonjong, has completed the final race.

On the 20th at 12:20 AM (Korean time), at the National Sliding Center in Yanqing, China, during the 4th run of the men's four-man bobsleigh event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Won Yoonjong’s team crossed the finish line with a time of 59.59 seconds.

Having ranked 18th overall in the qualifiers after the first three runs, Won Yoonjong’s team had a disappointing start with a 5.08-second push-off. They tried to make up for it during the run but slightly collided at the challenging 13th corner, resulting in a somewhat slower pace compared to the Chinese team led by Sun Kaiji, who competed earlier.

Approaching the finish line, Won Yoonjong’s team showed a good speed of 137.1 km/h and recorded 59.59 seconds. Their total combined time was 3 minutes 58.02 seconds, concluding their participation in the event.

The other four-man bobsleigh team, led by Seok Youngjin, ranked 25th overall after the first to third runs (2 minutes 59.96 seconds) and failed to advance to the fourth run.

Both teams faced difficulties during their preparation for the Beijing Winter Olympics. Due to COVID-19, participation in competitions became challenging, causing emergencies in training and performance management. However, without giving up, both teams improved their condition through overseas training camps and demonstrated strong driving skills in this competition.

After failing to advance to the final, Seok Youngjin stated, "Regardless of the medal color, the priority is to keep challenging," expressing his determination to compete in the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.