South Korea’s Chung Jae-won competes in the men’s 1,500-meter speed skating event at the Winter Olympics at the Cortina Speed Skating Arena in Milan, February 19. Yonhap
MILAN — Speed skater Chung Jae-won was scheduled to compete in the men’s mass start, his main event, at the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina this month. When a spot opened up in the 1,500m race scheduled for Thursday and he was told he would be the first alternate, Chung was initially unsure if he wanted to take part, fearing it would affect his training for the mass start on Saturday.
Chung, the 2022 Olympic silver medalist in the mass start, decided to push through at the end, finishing 14th among 30 skaters with a time of 1:45.80.
“I was worried that the race would mess up my training schedule for the mass start,” Chung told reporters afterward at the Milan Speed Skating Arena in Milan. “But I decided that racing competitively would help me feel more comfortable and get a better feel for my speed here.”
Chung said his last race in the 1,500 meters came about two years ago.
“I had only been skating on the inside track while working on the mass start, so I felt awkward while skating on the outside track,” Chung added. “My time wasn’t too bad today. I felt a little tired because it was my first race here, but I think it was good to get some stress out of my system.”
Chung said his preparations for the mass start — a hybrid event that combines elements of traditional long track speed skating with the tactical aspects of short track speed skating — are “almost complete.”
“I think I have an advantage over other skaters in my cornering skills,” he said. “I will try to utilize my strengths and respond to any situations that may arise.”
American Jordan Stolz, who has already won gold medals in the 500m and 1,000m and a silver in the 1,500m, will collect his fourth medal in the mass start.
“I expect Stolz to have that explosive speed with a few laps to leave everyone in the dust,” said Chung. “But if I can stay with him and others, I will definitely get my chance. I need to stay isolated.
“I won the mass start silver medal four years ago and won a medal during this World Cup season. Of course my goal is to get to the podium here,” Chung added. “I like to go to the highest place.”
