Journalist

Lee Hugh
  • Speedskater Park Ji-woo vows to keep chasing Olympic mass start medal after 14th-place finish
    Speedskater Park Ji-woo vows to keep chasing Olympic mass start medal after 14th-place finish South Korea’s long-distance speedskating standout Park Ji-woo of Gangwon Provincial Office missed a medal in the women’s mass start and said she plans to try again in four years. Park placed 14th in the final at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics at the Milan speedskating stadium on Feb. 22 (Korea time). It was her first time reaching the Olympic final, but she did not make the podium. After the race, Park told reporters in the mixed zone, “I’m sorry to deliver a disappointing result to speedskating fans in Korea who supported me,” bowing her head. Park failed to advance past the semifinals at both the 2018 PyeongChang Games and the 2022 Beijing Games. In Beijing, she collided with another skater with two laps remaining, ending her bid to reach the final. This time, she advanced comfortably through the semifinals to make her first final, but fell short of medal contention. “I was worried about fighting for position and where I’d be with one or two laps left,” Park said. “It’s disappointing I couldn’t fix that, but I showed what I could. I have fewer regrets than at PyeongChang and Beijing.” She said Kim Bo-reum contacted her from Korea earlier in the day and offered advice on positioning. “I really wanted to follow in Bo-reum’s footsteps, but it’s a shame I couldn’t show a great performance,” Park said. Kim, who announced her retirement from competition late last year, won silver in the mass start at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, becoming the first South Korean woman to medal in the event at the Games. Park said she intends to keep pursuing an Olympic medal. “The athletes who made the podium today are in their mid-30s, at least eight years older than me,” she said. “I have a real chance to keep challenging in four years and even eight years. I’ll work to reach a higher place at the next Olympics.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-22 03:12:00
  • Speed skater Jeong Jae-won finishes fifth in Olympic mass start, vows stronger push for 2030
    Speed skater Jeong Jae-won finishes fifth in Olympic mass start, vows stronger push for 2030 South Korea’s Jeong Jae-won, a leading long-distance speed skater, finished fifth in the men’s mass start at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics and said he will prepare even harder for the next Games. Jeong placed fifth in the final held at the Milan speed skating stadium on Saturday (Korea time). Midway through the race, Jorrit Berghsma of the Netherlands and Viktor Hald Thorup of Denmark increased the pace and broke away. Jeong, skating in the trailing group, could not close the gap. Berghsma won gold and Thorup took silver, with Jeong crossing the line in fifth. “It was a strategy we used a few times in the World Cup, so I thought I needed to latch on after the middle,” Jeong told reporters. “I tried to respond depending on the situation rather than forcing it, but it ended up being a disappointing result.” With no medal in the final, Jeong failed to win a medal at a third straight Olympics. He earned silver in the men’s team pursuit at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and won silver in the men’s mass start at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Jeong also said he felt the absence of Lee Seung-hoon, who competed with him at PyeongChang. Jeong, then a second-year student at Dongbuk High School, won team pursuit silver with Lee in 2018. “I was able to produce good results by sharing a lot of thoughts with Seung-hoon and learning his know-how,” Jeong said. “Without him at this competition, I don’t think I was able to prepare that way.” He added, “I really felt his absence and realized a lot. I’ll build more experience so I can become someone like him in the future.” Looking ahead to the 2030 Alps Olympics, Jeong said he would raise his level of preparation. “I thought I worked harder than anyone for this competition, but looking back, that was my own misconception,” he said. “I’ll prepare even more intensely until the next Olympics.” Jeong also noted that his wife attended the race. “She’s been through a lot,” he said. “I’m sorry and disappointed I couldn’t put a medal around the neck of my wife, who has been my support.” * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-22 02:24:00
  • Park Ji-woo places 14th in mass start as South Korea ends Olympics without speedskating medal
    Park Ji-woo places 14th in mass start as South Korea ends Olympics without speedskating medal South Korea’s speedskating team finished the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics without a medal, its first medal-less Games since 2002 in Salt Lake City. On Saturday (Korea time), South Korea wrapped up its schedule after failing to reach the podium in both the men’s and women’s mass start finals at the Milan speedskating stadium in Italy. In the women’s mass start, Park Ji-woo of Gangwon Provincial Office placed 14th in the final. She crossed the line seventh but dropped in the standings after losing points in the intermediate sprint segments. Park advanced to the final by finishing third in the second semifinal heat. She stayed near the back early, then moved up on the outside with two laps remaining, but her time of 8 minutes, 36.31 seconds was not enough for a medal. Lim Ri-won, who is set to enter Korea National Sport University, did not reach the final after placing 10th in the first semifinal heat. Earlier, in the men’s mass start final, Jung Jae-won of Gangwon Provincial Office crossed fifth in 8:04.60 and missed the medals. In mass start, skaters complete 16 laps, with rankings determined by points from intermediate sprints and the finish. The skater who finishes first overall wins gold.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-22 02:00:00
  • Speedskater Jeong Jae-won finishes fifth in Olympic men’s mass start, misses third straight medal
    Speedskater Jeong Jae-won finishes fifth in Olympic men’s mass start, misses third straight medal South Korea’s Jeong Jae-won, a leading long-distance speedskater, finished fifth in the men’s mass start final at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, falling short of a third consecutive Olympic medal. Jeong scored six points to place fifth among 16 skaters in the final at the Milan speedskating stadium, held Feb. 22 (Korean time). Dutch veteran Jorrit Bergsma won gold with 68 points. Denmark’s Victor Hald Thorup took silver with 47, and Italy’s Andrea Giovannini won bronze with 21. The mass start combines elements of speedskating and short track, with skaters starting together without lane assignments. The race is 16 laps, with sprint points awarded every four laps: three points for first, two for second and one for third. On the final lap, first earns 60 points, second 40 and third 20, with overall points determining the standings. Jeong won silver in the team pursuit at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games and silver in the mass start at the 2022 Beijing Games. He also raised expectations this season by winning two silvers in the men’s mass start across ISU World Cup events 1 through 4. He advanced from semifinal heat 1 in third place with 21 sprint points, boosting hopes of a podium finish. In the final, Jeong stayed near the back early to conserve energy as Bergsma and Thorup pushed the pace from the start. The gap to the leaders grew to more than half a lap, and Indra Medard of Belgium, who had also been in the back, moved up as well. Bergsma and Thorup crossed the line in 7:55.00 and 8:00.52, respectively, to secure gold and silver. Jeong, described as more of a sprinter, surged late but could not close on the lead group and finished fifth. Jeong ended the Games with a 14th-place finish in the men’s 1,500 meters on Feb. 20 and fifth in the mass start. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-22 01:21:00
  • Speedskater Park Ji-woo Reaches Women’s Mass Start Final at Milan Olympics
    Speedskater Park Ji-woo Reaches Women’s Mass Start Final at Milan Olympics South Korean speedskater Park Ji-woo of Gangwon Provincial Office reached the Olympic women’s mass start final for the first time in her third Games appearance. Park advanced Saturday (Korean time) at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, finishing third in the second semifinal heat at the Milan speedskating stadium. She earned 20 sprint points and secured one of the eight final berths awarded in each heat. The mass start is a 16-lap race scored by points at intermediate sprints and at the finish. At laps 4, 8 and 12, the top three skaters receive 3, 2 and 1 sprint points, respectively, and up to 60 points are awarded based on the final placing. Park stayed near the back early before moving into the lead pack with two laps remaining. She closed the race in third place. Park also competed in the mass start at the 2018 Pyeongchang and 2022 Beijing Olympics but did not reach the final. This is her first final appearance in the event. The final is scheduled for 1:15 a.m. Sunday at the same venue. In the first semifinal heat, Lim Ri-won finished 10th and was eliminated.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-22 00:36:00
  • South Korea’s Jeong Jae-won reaches Olympic men’s mass start final, eyes third straight medal
    South Korea’s Jeong Jae-won reaches Olympic men’s mass start final, eyes third straight medal South Korean long-distance speedskater Jeong Jae-won (Gangwon Provincial Office) advanced to the men’s mass start final at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Jeong scored 21 points in the semifinal held Feb. 21 (Korea time) at the Milan Speed Skating Stadium in Italy. He placed third among 15 skaters, earning one of the eight spots in the final. In the 16-lap mass start, sprint points of 3, 2 and 1 are awarded to the top three at laps 4, 8 and 12. At the finish, points are awarded as follows: 60 for first, 40 for second, 20 for third, 10 for fourth, 6 for fifth and 3 for sixth. Jeong picked up 1 point by passing the first scoring mark in third at lap 4, then earned 20 points by finishing third on the final lap. He arrived at the Olympics with momentum after winning two silver medals in the men’s mass start across the first four stops of the International Skating Union’s 2025-26 Speed Skating World Cup season. A medal in this event would give Jeong a third straight Olympic medal. He previously won silver in team pursuit at the 2018 PyeongChang Games and silver in the mass start at the 2022 Beijing Games. The final, which will determine the medals, is scheduled to begin at 12:40 a.m. Feb. 22.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-21 23:48:00
  • Norway’s Johannes Klaebo wins record six golds at one Winter Olympics, brings total to 11
    Norway’s Johannes Klaebo wins record six golds at one Winter Olympics, brings total to 11 Norway’s Johannes Klaebo set a Winter Olympics record by winning six gold medals at a single Games. Klaebo won the men’s 50-kilometer mass start at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on Feb. 21 (Korean time) at the cross-country stadium in Tesero, Italy, finishing in 2 hours, 6 minutes, 44.8 seconds. The victory completed a sweep of all six cross-country events he entered: skiathlon (10km plus 10km), sprint classic, 10km interval start free, 4x7.5km relay, team sprint and the 50km mass start. His six golds broke the previous record for most titles at one Winter Olympics, set by American speedskater Eric Heiden with five at the 1980 Lake Placid Games. Klaebo also raised his career Olympic gold total to 11 after winning three in Pyeongchang in 2018 and two in Beijing in 2022, extending his own record for the most Winter Olympic gold medals. In the 50km mass start, Klaebo trailed Norwegian teammate Martin Loewstroem Nyenget by 0.1 seconds at the 48.6km mark. He then covered the final 1.4km, which included a climb, in 4:33.8 to pull away and win by 8.9 seconds. Nyenget took silver in 2:06:53.7, and Emil Iversen won bronze in 2:07:15.5, giving Norway a sweep of the podium. Klaebo debuted on the senior circuit in the 2015-16 International Ski Federation cross-country World Cup season and became the youngest overall World Cup champion at age 20. At these Games, he won both sprint and distance events to set new Olympic marks.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-21 23:06:00
  • Korea’s Kim Jin-su Four-Man Bobsled Team Sits Eighth After Two Runs at Milan-Cortina Olympics
    Korea’s Kim Jin-su Four-Man Bobsled Team Sits Eighth After Two Runs at Milan-Cortina Olympics South Korea’s men’s four-man bobsled team led by Kim Jin-su is in eighth place after the first two heats at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Kim, with pushers Kim Hyeong-geun and Kim Seon-uk and brakeman Lee Geon-woo, posted a combined time of 1 minute, 49.50 seconds on Saturday (Korean time) at the Cortina Sliding Center in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, ranking eighth among 27 teams. The team was eighth in Heat 1 in 54.60 seconds and recorded the sixth-fastest time in Heat 2 at 54.90. In the same event, the South Korean sled piloted by Seok Yeong-jin, with Lee Do-yoon, Jeon Su-hyeon and Chae Byeong-do, is 23rd after two heats in 1:50.73. In four-man bobsled, the final standings are determined by the combined time across four runs. Kim’s team previously won bronze in the four-man event at the IBSF World Cup season opener in November on this Olympic track. Heats 3 and 4, which will decide the final results, begin at 6 p.m. Feb. 22.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-21 22:54:00
  • Choi Min-jeong Says Milan Olympics Will Be Her Last as Teammates Pay Tribute
    Choi Min-jeong Says Milan Olympics Will Be Her Last as Teammates Pay Tribute Short track teammates who trained and lived together while preparing for the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics shared messages of support and regret after Choi Min-jeong (Seongnam City Hall) said she would retire from the Olympics. Choi won silver in the women’s 1,500 meters on Feb. 21 (Korean time) at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Italy. The medal was her seventh Olympic medal (four gold, three silver), setting a new record for most Olympic medals by a South Korean athlete. She surpassed Jin Jong-oh (shooting), Kim Soo-nyung (archery) and Lee Seung-hoon (speed skating), who each had six. Speaking to reporters in the mixed zone after the race, Choi said it was her Olympic “last dance.” “Thinking this is my last Olympics makes me cry,” she said, adding that the thought stayed with her from the start to the finish. “Even after it ended, all I could think was, ‘This is really the last one.’ I don’t think you’ll see me at the Olympics anymore.” Choi drew a line at retiring from competition altogether. At a news conference at Korea House set up at Villa Necchi Campiglio in Milan, she said, “It’s definitely my last Olympics. As for what I’ll do next with the national team or my career, I’ll think it through step by step and sort it out.” Teammates who shared her final Olympic run offered praise and disappointment at her decision. Kim Gil-li (Seongnam City Hall), who won two gold medals and one bronze at these Games, said, “Choi Min-jeong worked so hard as captain. It was an honor to compete on a big stage with her. I think it’ll be an unforgettable memory.” Lee So-yeon (Sports Toto), described as the team’s oldest member, said Choi was “more diligent than anyone.” She said she was moved when Choi cried after the women’s 1,500 final. “I cheered for her because I saw how hard she worked,” Lee said. “I think she could keep going, but I support her choice.” Shim Suk-hee (Seoul City Hall) thanked Choi, saying she must have been busy preparing for individual events but still prioritized the team. “The burden must have been heavy as captain, but thank you for quietly putting in the work,” Shim said. Noh Do-hee (Hwaseong City Hall) said she learned of Choi’s decision through an interview article and felt upset. “She’s not the type to show how hard things are,” Noh said. “Seeing her cry and show her emotions made me guess how difficult it must have been.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-21 22:18:00
  • South Korea’s Lee Seung-hoon vows comeback after ACL tear ends Olympic halfpipe run
    South Korea’s Lee Seung-hoon vows comeback after ACL tear ends Olympic halfpipe run Lee Seung-hoon, who made history as the first South Korean to reach an Olympic final in freeskiing, said he is focused on recovery after an unexpected injury ended his 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics. After completing his Olympic schedule, Lee (Korea National Sport University) wrote on social media on the 21st that he had a fever and flu-like symptoms from the morning of competition day and began final practice with an injured right shoulder after the qualifying round. He said he hurt his knee after a bad landing during practice. “I went back up to try to ride at least the third run, but the injury was more serious than I thought, so I decided to go to the hospital,” he wrote. Tests showed a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, damage to the lateral cartilage and a lateral bone bruise. Lee also described the disappointment of missing the final. “When I realized something was wrong after I fell, I didn’t want to give up the Olympic final stage I had dreamed of,” he wrote. “I prepared for the Olympics doing my best so I wouldn’t have regrets. I wanted to show everything I had and compete without regrets.” He added that accepting the situation was difficult, but said he would move on quickly and commit to rehabilitation “to work for what comes next.” Earlier, Lee scored 76 points in qualifying to place 10th, becoming the first South Korean to advance to an Olympic freeski final. He credited those who helped him reach his second Olympics and said he was glad to close out his run in the pipe event, adding, “I’ll recover with strength,” as he wrapped up his Milan Winter Olympics journey.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-21 21:06:00