SINGAPORE – A quantum leap at the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) has boosted the self-belief of short track speed skater Ryo Ong.

At the quadrennial Games in Gangwon, South Korea, the Singaporean not only has to grapple with rivals from across the globe but also learn to be self-reliant.

Unlike other competitions where he would stay with his parents at a hotel or an Airbnb, the 17-year-old has been staying on his own in a room at the athletes’ village.

But it is in this unfamiliar environment that he made history on Jan 20 by reaching the B final of the men’s 1,500m event.

No other Singaporean short track speed skater had made it to the semi-finals since the Republic debuted in the Winter YOG at the 2020 Lausanne Games.

At the Gangneung Ice Arena, his 2min 25.282sec was third-best in his quarter-final. It earned him a spot in the semi-finals, where he clocked 2:38.401 for third place and a berth in the B final.

The top two from the three semi-finals make the A final, while the next two finishers qualify for the B final. Ryo eventually finished 13th overall (2:46.823) in the event won by South Korea’s Joo Jae-hee.

He said: “I did not think I would make it to the finals – even making it to the semi-finals was quite an achievement...

“I was quite shocked and I was quite unprepared because I didn’t expect it. I thought the standard would be too different but I realised they are around my level, so I had to focus and fight with them.

“Most of the international competitions I’ve taken part in are World Cups and world championships, where it’s mainly senior skaters skating so their level is much higher than mine.

“But in this competition, the skaters are much closer to my level so I have to strategise and fight, so it’s really intense.”

Strategising for his races required him to observe his rivals and what they did in their races.

For example, Ryo noted how the South Koreans would usually sit back before sprinting in the final few laps, while some European skaters would push themselves throughout the race.

That influenced how he approached his races – whether to take it slow at first or starting strong.

On Jan 21, he finished 26th in the 1,000m and is hoping to wrap up his campaign by beating his personal best of 43.161sec in the 500m the following day.

Compatriot and fellow short track speed skater Amelia Chua, who was 28th and 31st in the women’s 1,000m and 1,500m respectively, will also race in the 500m event.

For now, Ryo wants to make the most of his time in South Korea.

Outside the rink, he has been enjoying the wide variety at the village’s food hall and taking part in game sessions for the athletes.

He even had a snowball fight with some of his fellow athletes.

Ryo said: “I won’t get this experience again, so this is something that I will treasure while I’m here.”