Hamar: South Korean speed skater Lee Seung-hoon has achieved a significant milestone by winning his first world championships medal in nearly a decade at the age of 37. Lee secured a silver medal in the men's mass start event at the International Skating Union (ISU) World Speed Skating Single Distances Championships, held at the Hamar Olympic Hall in Norway. His impressive performance saw him finishing with a time of 7:56.52. According to Yonhap News Agency, Andrea Giovannini of Italy narrowly edged out Lee by 0.05 seconds to claim the gold medal, while Bart Swings of Belgium finished third with a time of 7:56.69. This silver medal marks Lee's first podium finish at the world championships since winning the mass start title at the 2016 competition in Kolomna, Russia. In the race, Lee strategically positioned himself at the back of the pack in the early stages before making a decisive move to the front during the final stretches. Despite his strong push, he was overtaken by Giovannini on the final straight, securing the silver medal. Lee Seung-hoon is celebrated as the most decorated South Korean speed skater in Olympic history, having amassed six medals over four consecutive Winter Games from 2010 to 2022. His achievements include a gold medal in the 10,000 meters in 2010 and another gold in the mass start event in 2018. After a period of limited success following his mass start bronze medal at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Lee has demonstrated a resurgence during the current 2024-2025 season. He played a crucial role in helping South Korea win the men's team pursuit silver medal at the Asian Winter Games in China in February and subsequently claimed the mass start title at an ISU World Cup event in Poland the same month, marking his first World Cup gold in over seven years. Lee is now setting his sights on qualifying for his fifth Winter Olympics, which will take place next February in Italy.