Park Ji-won, who won first place in the short track competition

Short track speed skater Park Ji-won (Seoul City Hall), who won first place in the national team selection match, opened up about Hwang Dae-heon (Gangwon Provincial Office), who had a conflict.

In the men's 1,000-meter race in the second round of the short track national team competition for the 2024-2025 season held at Mokdong Ice Rink in Seoul on Sunday, Park crossed the finish line as No. 1 in men's 1,000-meter race. Park won 92 points overall and joined the national team as No. 1 overall. She has secured individual berths in international competitions, which are awarded to the top eight players and individual berths given to the top three players. Park, who has yet to serve in the military, will be able to seek military service benefits at the 2025 Hangzhou Winter Asian Games.

Park, who has become the No. 1 player in this season's World Cup rankings, sought to automatically select the national team for the next season at the World Championships in March. A Korean athlete who wins a gold medal with the highest performance is entitled to be exempt from selection matches. However, Park was fouled by Hwang Dae-heon in the men's 1,000-meter and 1,500-meter finals, and thus ended up with no medal. Park returned home wearing a Gibbs due to a neck injury. Park also clashed with Hwang in the first competition. However, as she ranked first overall in the first and second competitions, she put on the national flag once again.

After the game, Park said, "It was a difficult road. I participated in the competition with the thought of overcoming it." Park, who received a lot of attention, said, "I felt a lot of pressure, but I played as I thought this competition was just a selection match."

After the World Championships, the ice federation examined the intentions through self-examination and announced that Hwang Dae-heon did not commit any fouls on purpose. Hwang also said through his agency that he would apologize to Park later. When asked if he had received an apology from Hwang during the competition, Park said, "I didn't hear anything special. I only focused on preparing for the selection match because I felt anxious in body and mind after the World Championships." "As I focused only on the competition, I could miss small things. I will solve them step by step," he said.

Meanwhile, Hwang failed to win the national flag as he finished 11th. He was asked to be interviewed, but he refused and left the stadium. When asked if he would accept Hwang's apology, Park said, "I will fully think about it."

When asked about the Asian Games next year, Park Ji-won said, "The more important the game is, the more we have to prepare as we have been doing. I will do my best as I have always done." "I won the World Cup twice in a row and received the Crystal Globe Trophy (giving to the top player), and I think I can win it three times," he said.

For the first time in five years, this year's championship took place with spectators entering the stadium. Whenever Park appeared, fans cheered and applauded loudly. On the other hand, Hwang Dae-heon played in a difficult environment, with fans clapping their hands when he was disqualified for a foul. "It was a great help. I was able to move well until the end thanks to the fans," Park said of the fans' support.

Meanwhile, in the women's category, Choi Min-jeong (Seongnam City Hall), who returned after a one-year break, won the gold medal. In the 1,000-meter race held on the last day, Choi beat Shim Suk-hee (Seoul City Hall) to take first place. She also beat Shim in overall points to rank No. 1.

Choi said, "I rested after the 2023 World Championship in Seoul. In fact, I needed time to rest and recover. There were many things I wanted to change, but I came back successfully. Above all, I thank the sponsor who trusted me when I made the decision and the coaching staff of my team who helped me come back. I thank so many people for their support in the selection match."

Choi said, "I watched World Cups consistently. I watched them when I was playing in Korea, too. I did not participate in international competitions, but I received new stimulation while watching them. I think that process can be an opportunity for me to improve."

BY: 토토사이트