Brief-track pace skater Choi Min-jeong speaks to the media upon arriving again in Korea by Incheon Worldwide Airport, Oct. 21. Yonhap
Three-time Olympic quick monitor gold medalist Choi Min-jeong mentioned Tuesday she is going to attempt to polish up her ways head of her third Winter Video games subsequent 12 months in Italy.
Choi and the remainder of the nationwide quick monitor pace skating group returned residence after finishing their Worldwide Skating Union (ISU) Brief Observe World Tour season. The primary two occasions have been each held in Canada, earlier than the athletes made stops in Poland after which the Netherlands.
Over these 4 competitions, Choi collected 5 particular person medals — one gold, two silver and two bronze medals, good for fourth within the ladies’s general standings with 650 factors.
Courtney Sarault of Canada led the way in which with 5 gold medals and 980 factors.
“All through the World Tour season, I felt the Canadian skaters had improved an important deal,” Choi informed reporters at Incheon Worldwide Airport, simply west of Seoul. “Skaters from different international locations have additionally made strides, however I additionally got here away satisfied I can nonetheless get good outcomes (on the Olympics) with good preparation.”
Choi then added, “I wish to focus extra on tactical parts than on bodily elements on the Olympics.”
Having bagged 5 complete medals over the previous two Olympic Video games, the 27-year-old Choi mentioned, “I’m extra skilled than many different skaters. I discovered an important deal from this World Tour season, and so I’ll attempt to polish up my ways and grow to be extra aggressive.”
Choi has lengthy excelled within the 1,000 meters and 1,500 meters. Nonetheless, Choi, like many different South Korean skaters that got here earlier than her, has struggled within the 500m. She did win a bronze medal within the shortest quick monitor occasion on the closing World Tour cease over the weekend.
“Earlier than the final two World Tour occasions, I labored actually laborious on producing pace and accelerating early within the race,” Choi mentioned. “Getting strong outcomes gave me some confidence.”
Choi was the one South Korean skater, male or feminine, to win a 500m medal on the World Tour this 12 months.
Whereas Choi was the main skater for the ladies’s nationwide group, the boys’s group noticed the emergence of the 18-year-old Rim Jong-un.
{The teenager} first stunned the quick monitor world by grabbing a nationwide group spot out of the notoriously powerful home trials, and proved he wasn’t only a flash within the pan by choosing up two gold medals and one silver medal in particular person races on the World Tour.
He completed eighth within the males’s general standings with 363 factors, tops amongst South Koreans.
William Dandjinou of Canada was the singular pressure all season and completed with 876 factors by profitable seven out of 12 particular person gold medals at stake.
Rim admitted Dandjinou introduced a tricky problem due to his power however added, “I can maintain my very own towards him on the subject of endurance.”
“I’ve gained loads of expertise forward of the Olympics,” Rim mentioned. “I’ll analyze Dandjinou’s performances intently and take a look at to determine methods to beat him.”
Rim opened the World Tour season with a bang by profitable the 1,500m title and including the 1,000m silver. However he was shut out of medals over the subsequent two occasions, earlier than bouncing again with the 1,000m gold medal on the closing World Tour occasion.
“I did not do job of managing my bodily situation,” he mentioned. “Thankfully, I used to be in a position to skate effectively on the final occasion and regain some confidence.”
Rim mentioned classes he has discovered this 12 months will set him up properly for the Olympics in two months’ time.
“I discovered how briskly races are on the senior stage, and the way skaters all have completely different types and completely different strengths,” he mentioned. “I’ll attempt to apply these classes from the World Tour on the Olympics.” (Yonhap)
