South Korean Speed Skating: A New Generation Chases Olympic Gold and Legacy in Milan-Cortina

SEOUL, South Korea - Ekhbary News Agency

South Korean Speed Skating: A New Generation Chases Olympic Gold and Legacy in Milan-Cortina

South Korea, a nation with a rich and storied legacy in Olympic speed skating, is poised for a pivotal moment as the Milan-Cortina Games draw near. After a remarkable streak of securing at least one speed skating gold medal at three consecutive Winter Olympics – beginning with Vancouver in 2010 and continuing through Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018 – came to an unexpected halt in Beijing in 2022, the focus is intensely on reclaiming past glories. While the 2022 Beijing Games saw Korean skaters earn a commendable two silver and two bronze medals, placing them third overall in the medal tally for speed skating behind the dominant Netherlands and tied with Canada and Japan, the absence of gold underscored a shift in the global landscape. Now, a new generation, spearheaded by the experienced Kim Min-sun and the prodigious talent Lee Na-hyun, is tasked with reigniting the nation's golden touch, particularly in the electrifying women's 500 meters.

The pressure on these athletes is immense, not only to perform at their individual best but to uphold a tradition of excellence that has long been a source of national pride. Kim Min-sun, at 26, is preparing for what will be her third consecutive Olympic appearance. Throughout her career, she has carried the heavy mantle of being touted as the "second coming" of Lee Sang-hwa, a true icon of the sport who secured back-to-back 500-meter gold medals in 2010 and 2014, adding a silver in 2018. While Kim has certainly demonstrated her prowess with numerous victories in International Skating Union (ISU) World Cup events, replicating Lee Sang-hwa's unparalleled Olympic success has proven to be an elusive challenge. Her previous Olympic finishes of 16th in 2018 and seventh in 2022 highlight the formidable leap required to transition from World Cup contender to Olympic champion.

However, Kim Min-sun's journey has been one of persistent evolution and strategic adaptation. Her breakthrough came in the 2022-2023 ISU World Cup season, where she delivered a stunning performance, sweeping five consecutive gold medals to clinch the 500m overall title – a dominant stretch that firmly established her as a top contender. Yet, with a keen eye on the ultimate prize in Milan-Cortina, Kim made a significant, albeit risky, decision to fundamentally alter her training regimen after that triumphant campaign. Her goal was to peak precisely in February, aligning her physical and mental conditioning with the timing of the Olympic Games, rather than the traditional early-season World Cup events in November or December. This strategic recalibration, aimed at optimizing her performance for the high-stakes Olympic stage, inevitably came at the cost of immediate results in subsequent World Cup races.

The 2024-2025 season provided glimpses of the potential payoff from Kim's modified approach. After securing a bronze medal in the season opener, she endured a challenging period, missing the podium in her next six 500m races. However, as the calendar turned to 2025, her dedicated efforts began to manifest. She captured a World Cup silver medal in February, followed by a world championship bronze in March, signaling a gradual but promising return to elite form. The 2025-2026 season saw a slower start, with Kim not breaking into the top 10 in the 500m until the third World Cup stop in early December. Nevertheless, her resilience shone through on December 14, when she earned a bronze medal, her first of the season, reaffirming her status as a formidable competitor who is steadily building momentum towards the Olympics.

Complementing Kim's seasoned experience is the meteoric rise of Lee Na-hyun, a 20-year-old phenom widely regarded as the future of Korean speed skating. Lee has rapidly ascended through the ranks, demonstrating exceptional talent and a competitive spirit. At the 2025 Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China, she secured a silver medal in the 500m, finishing just behind Kim Min-sun, and then impressively outpaced Kim to claim the title in the non-Olympic 100m event. Lee's remarkable trajectory includes setting a junior world record in the 500m with a time of 37.43 seconds in January 2024, a mark she has already surpassed three times in her inaugural senior season. Her consistent high-level performance is further evidenced by her finishing ahead of Kim in the overall World Cup standings, underscoring her readiness to challenge the world's best.

The path to Olympic gold, however, is fraught with formidable adversaries. The most prominent among them is Femke Kok, the Dutch sensation who shattered Lee Sang-hwa's 12-year-old world record in November, clocking an astonishing 36.09 seconds. Kok's dominant run of seven consecutive victories in World Cup races firmly positions her as the overwhelming favorite for the gold medal in Milan-Cortina. The battle for the podium will be intense, with South Korea's hopes resting on Kim Min-sun's strategic peak performance and Lee Na-hyun's youthful exuberance and record-breaking potential. For South Korea, Milan-Cortina represents more than just another Olympic Games; it is an opportunity to reaffirm its place at the pinnacle of speed skating, to inspire a new generation, and to once again hear the national anthem played for its victorious athletes on the grandest stage.

Ekhbary News Agency