Milan: Gearing up for his fourth and likely final Winter Olympics in northern Italy, veteran speed skater Kim Jun-ho feels he is in a good place. "I think I've become a lot stronger mentally," Kim said after a test run in the men's 500-meter event at Milano Speed Skating Stadium in Milan on Wednesday. "This isn't my first Olympics. It's already my fourth and I am much more at ease with myself."
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim, aged 30, has sometimes struggled with nerves, which partly explains why he has not yet won an Olympic medal despite his obvious talent. His closest attempt was at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, where he placed sixth, just 0.04 seconds behind the bronze medal winner from Japan, Wataru Morishige. In January, Kim admitted to working with a mental coach and expressed readiness to demonstrate his growth as a skater.
"I trust the work I've put in and I trust myself," Kim said. "I don't think I am going to waver. That's how hard I've been working and I will leave it all on the ice."
The men's 500m event is scheduled for February 14. Kim participated in a trial race with 21 other sprinters, skating in 11 pairs to simulate a competitive environment. Although several skaters focused on their starts and slowed after the first corner, Kim skated at nearly full speed, clocking 35.39 seconds. This time is still short of his national record of 33.78 seconds, set in November 2025. Kim aims to improve his initial race pace.
Kim reflected on his preparation for the test event, stating, "I tried to mentally prepare myself for this as if it were an actual Olympic race, but once I got here, I felt a little relaxed because it was just a test event after all." He noted that while he was pleased with some aspects of the race, he needs to work on maintaining explosiveness at the start, which he believes has been affected by his focus on adding strength.
Regarding the ice condition at the temporary venue inside the Fiera Milano Rho exhibition hall, Kim mentioned, "I am still getting used to it. The ice may not be perfect now but I think it should continue to get better as we move closer to the competition."