Milan: Short track speed skating star Choi Min-jeong is on the brink of potentially achieving a historic milestone at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. She is set to compete for her sixth career medal, which would tie the all-time record for a South Korean athlete, during the women's 1,000-meter race at the Milano Ice Skating Arena. Choi entered the competition with momentum, having successfully navigated the heats on Saturday, and is poised to advance from the quarterfinals to the finals, which are scheduled for 12:47 p.m. local time on Monday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Choi has faced challenges in her quest for additional medals earlier in these Olympics, falling short in both the mixed team relay and the women's 500m. Achieving a sixth career medal would place her alongside esteemed Olympians such as former archer Kim Soo-nyung, former pistol shooter Jin Jong-oh, and speed skater Lee Seung-hoon. Notably, Choi has secured three gold medals in her career, and another victory would see her equaling the record for most Winter Games golds by a South Korean athlete, currently held by former short tracker Chun Lee-kyung.
In other Olympic news from Saturday, the South Korean two-man bobsleigh team, consisting of pilot Kim Jin-su and brakeman Kim Hyeong-geun, commenced their initial two runs at the Cortina Sliding Centre, located 260 kilometers northeast of Milan. Meanwhile, the women's curling team engaged in a round-robin match against China at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.