Early celebration costs South Korean team roller-skating gold
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South Korea's Jung Cheol-won (right) eased up as he approached the finish, only to be pipped by Taiwan's Huang Yu-lin on the line.
PHOTO: REUTERS
HANGZHOU – South Korean roller-skater Jung Cheol-won was left red-faced at the Asian Games on Monday, when an early celebration cost his team a gold medal in the 3,000m relay race.
The 27-year-old eased up and raised his arms as he approached the finish, only to be pipped by Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yu-lin on the line as they won the gold by 0.01sec.
“I made a rather big mistake. I didn’t come at full speed to the finish line. I let my guard down too early. I am very sorry,” said Jung.
It was redemption for Huang, though, who left Qiantang Roller Sports Centre in tears on Sunday after being disqualified in the men's 1,000m sprint.
He had earlier said he was not sure he would compete in Monday’s relay because he was so downcast.
“Last night, I kept telling myself I was not willing to compete today but then I looked back at some old posts on social media to encourage myself,” he said.
He initially thought Chinese Taipei had fallen just short.
“I thought it was such a shame that I was just a little bit short, and then the results came up on the screen showing that we had won by one hundredth of a second, and it was just a miracle.”
The silver medal came with an added sting for Jung and one of his teammates, Choi In-ho.
South Korea’s Asian Games champions enjoy the added bonus of being able to skip mandatory military service.
All able-bodied South Korean men aged between 18 and 28 must serve 18 months to two years in the military as part of the country’s efforts to guard against North Korea.
Chinese Taipei also took gold in the women’s 3,000m relay race on Monday, ahead of runners-up South Korea.
North Korea had a better day on Monday, as Kim Il Gyong, 20, became the third woman in a row from the country to break a world record at the Hangzhou Games.
Kim Il Gyong became the third woman in a row from the country to break a world record at the Hangzhou Games.
PHOTO: AFP
Kim, who appears to have last competed internationally as a 14-year-old junior in 2018, set a new snatch record of 111kg on her way to gold in the 59kg class.
On Saturday, Ri Song Gum broke the world record in the women’s 49kg, the first weightlifting event of the Games.
Then Kang Hyong Yong, 24, set a hat-trick of world records in snatch, clean and jerk, and combined in the women’s 55kg class.
North Korean weightlifters have not taken part in international competition since 2019 after the country’s borders were sealed because of the pandemic.
“Like athletes from other NOCs, we train in great venues. We are devoted and very committed to our preparation,” explained Kim, when asked about North Korea’s incredible performances after years of exile.
They had been scheduled to return to action at a meet in Cuba in June, but rival lifters strongly objected, saying the North Koreans have not been dope-tested since 2019. In the end the North Koreans did not show up. REUTERS, AFP
