Kim Jun-ho aims to evolve from Olympian to Olympic medalist in speed skating.
The 30-year-old world No. 8 speed skater from Gangwon Provincial Physical Education Directorate clinched his fourth Olympic berth in the men’s 500m at the national selection final.
Competing on December 15 at 1 a.m. KST in Milan’s speed skating stadium in Italy for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics qualifiers, Kim raced among 15 top contenders. He finished 12th in the opening race but clocked Beijing Olympic gold-medal pace. His average total time tied China’s Gao Tingyu (world No. 18), positioning him for a medal shot.
Veteran Olympic Performer
Kim debuted at 19 in the 2014 Sochi Olympics (21st place), followed by 12th in the 2018 PyeongChang average event on home ice and 6th in Beijing 2022. Each Games highlighted his growing prowess.
Now targeting a fourth Olympics, Kim demonstrates peak mental strength and podium confidence, sustaining Korea’s medal contention in the discipline.
Recent Momentum Builds
Last November, Kim dominated the ISU World Cup second leg with gold in the men’s 500m first division and silver in the second, locking in his Olympic spot early.
His explosive starts produced a Korean record of 33.33 seconds, edging China’s national champion mark of 33.78 by 0.25 seconds.
After victory, Kim recaptured confidence at the podium ceremony. “My concentration has doubled,” he revealed.
“I couldn’t grasp that chance in Beijing. This time, I want to become an Olympic medalist, not just an Olympian,” he affirmed.
Smiling, he noted, “Fans cheer ‘personal Kim Jun-ho’ or ‘Kim Jun-ho.’ I’d love to gain even more fame like that.”
Rising Star Koo Kyung-min Shines
In men’s 1000m, 2005-born prodigy Koo Kyung-min, a 2024 world junior double champion, tied for 5th with Canada’s Anders Joensen in a strong Olympic tune-up performance.
