Lee Dong-hyeon and Kim Kun-hee ranked 1st in men’s and women’s overall
Beijing Winter Olympics men’s short track medalists Hwang Dae-heon (23, Gangwon Provincial Government) and Kwak Yun-ki (33, Goyang City Hall) gave up the Taegeuk mark next season. The two participated on the first day of the first round of the 2022-2023 season, held at the Taereung Indoor Ice Rink in Nowon-gu, Seoul on the 4th, but withdrew and did not participate on the second day, the 5th. Hwang Dae-heon, the men’s 1500 m gold medalist at the Beijing Winter Olympics, collaborated with Kwak Yun-ki for a silver medal in the men’s 5000 m relay.
Ryan@, his agency, announced that Hwang Dae-heon gave up the rest of the match due to his poor physical condition due to the novel coronavirus infection. Daeheon Hwang was eliminated in the men’s 1500m semifinal on the 4th following falling, and she came in first in the 500m final, but she was disqualified. Hwang Dae-heon said through his agency, “Even though I withdrew from this competition, I think this season is a recharge season and I will challenge the national team once more next year.”
Kwak Yoon-gi was injured in the men’s 1500m quarterfinals the day before, slipping and falling, and gave up the rest of the competition. According to Kwak’s agency, Bri On Company, following a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of her, she was diagnosed with a ruptured muscle in her left thigh. Her eldest sister, A-Rang Kim (27, Goyang City Hall), of her Beijing Olympic women’s national team, also did not participate in the contest to rehabilitate her knee injury.
In the national short track national team selection, which is held in the first and second rounds, the top 24 men and women in the first round can participate in the second round. Kim Geon-hee (22, Dankook University) took first place in the women’s overall in the first tournament, and Lee Dong-hyeon (18, Uijeongbu Gwangdong High School) took first place in the men’s overall. Shim Seok-hee (25, Seoul City Hall) placed 3rd in the women’s division. The second tournament will be held at the same place on the 7th and 8th.
Correspondent Hong-gu Kang windup@donga.com
