Speed skaters hoping brutal training camp pays off with medals in Italy

Members of South Korean pace skating staff for the 2026 Winter Olympics prepare at Milano Pace Skating Stadium in Milan, Italy, Feb. 2. From left are Lim Lee-won, Park Ji-woo, Chung Jae-won and Cho Seung-min. Yonhap

MILAN — Whilst a veteran of two Winter Olympic Video games, pace skater Chung Jae-won had by no means had a extra grueling coaching camp than the one held on the finish of final month in preparation for the Milan-Cortina Olympics in northern Italy.

“I’ll keep in mind the two-week camp on the finish of January for a very long time. It was extra intense than something I might skilled,” Chung instructed reporters after a coaching session at Milano Pace Skating Stadium on Tuesday. “However the outcomes after that camp have been excellent. I’ve improved in each space.”

For the third straight Olympics, Chung, 24, can be competing within the males’s mass begin, a pack race contested over 16 laps involving cautious methods and well-timed bursts of pace. Chung gained silver in that hybrid occasion on the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, and within the hopes of going one spot increased on the rostrum, Chung and his fellow mass begin competitor, Cho Seung-min, labored out with the junior nationwide staff skaters.

Chung felt coaching solely with Cho, an 18-year-old on the verge of his Olympic debut, wasn’t going to organize both of them for the oft-chaotic race.

“I made a decision we might fall behind mass begin traits if we caught to simply conserving power and kicking into the next gear over the ultimate lap,” Chung stated. “So we devised plans to skate with the junior nationwide staff members and prepare like we have been skating in precise competitions.”

Cho additionally stated this was essentially the most demanding camp of his profession, however he’s pleased to be residing out his dream as he is skating alongside his idol.

On the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Video games, Chung emerged as the brand new face of South Korean pace skating by serving to the nation to silver within the males’s staff pursuit. Later that 12 months, Cho, then nonetheless a brief tracker in elementary college, bumped into Chung and obtained a photograph op with the burgeoning star.

Cho switched to lengthy monitor after coming into center college and can now share the Olympic ice with Chung.

“He is been my function mannequin since I used to be little, and it is an honor to have the ability to compete on the identical Olympics with him,” Cho stated of Chung.

“I truthfully do not keep in mind a lot about that day,” Chung stated with fun. “However once I discovered later that child was Seung-min, it was fairly superb. That little man within the image is now sufficiently old to be my teammate. It jogs my memory I’m now not only a child, and I’ve to be a accountable chief.”

Chung clearly has an extended monitor document of success than Cho, and they’re going to go into the Milan-Cortina Video games carrying completely different units of expectations.

“Since I’ve gained silver medals at two straight Olympic Video games, I might actually like to win a gold medal this time,” Chung stated.

Cho chimed in: “I’ll attempt to not get too nervous at my first Olympics and can attempt to benefit from the expertise.”