⛸️ Kim Min-seon Wins Two Golds! Speed Skating Trials Day One Heats Up - 2026.10.24 | Speed Skating

Hello, fans! 🧊 Dear speed skating lovers, the ice rink was really heating up this week. We've got news that truly shows the pride of Korean speed skating!

🔥 Women's Sprint: Kim Min-seon's Double Gold Run

Kim Min-seon (Uijeongbu City Hall) won both the women's 500m and 1,000m on day one of the 61st National Men's and Women's Speed Skating Championships combined with the 2026-2027 ISU World Cup team selection trials ^[1]! In the first 500m race, she clocked 38.63 seconds to edge Lee Na-hyun (38.69) by just 0.06 seconds ^[2], then took the 1,000m in 1:17.72, beating Lee again ^[1]. A 0.06-second gap is nail-biting stuff 😅 The headline calling her 'the post-Lee Sang-hwa' is backed up by her performance ^[3]. Her 2025 Harbin Winter Asian Games double gold adds even more weight to that ^[8].

🌟 Men's 500m: Jung Jae-woong and Ku Kyung-min's Tight Battle

In the men's 500m first race, Jung Jae-woong won with 35.63 seconds ^[1]. Ku Kyung-min closed to within 0.05 seconds at 35.68, keeping the tension alive to the end ^[2]. The two are teammates and fierce rivals, and their razor-thin margin made for thrilling viewing ^[4]. Ku also won the men's 1,000m in 1:10.93, beating Yang Ho-jun (1:11.06), so fans are already eyeing their next showdown! 👀

🎓 High Schooler Kim Seung-gyeom Steals the Spotlight

One of the most eye-catching names was Kim Seung-gyeom. The Seohyeon High School skater took first place in the men's 5,000m in 6:36.45 ^[1]. A high schooler topping a selection race like this means the future looks very bright. Remember this name! 📝

🏆 Women's Distance Events and the World Cup Lineup

In the women's 3,000m, Lim Ri-won (Korea National Sport University) beat Park Ji-woo (Gangwon Provincial City Hall) in 4:20.28 ^[1]. The event runs through the 25th, and the Korea Skating Union will select national representatives for each event for the new ISU World Cup season based on the results ^[1]. Every race now counts toward a World Cup ticket. 🎟️

📈 Lee Na-hyun and Jung Hee-dan Heat Up the Certified Record Meet

The earlier certified record meet also showed off the sport's stars. Lee Na-hyun topped the women's 500m with 38.90 seconds, showing the form of a next-generation ace ^[5]. Having checked her speed form in this event, Lee gave a green light for her upcoming ISU World Cup series appearance ^[6]. Park Ji-woo also reached the top of the women's 1500m ^[6], and rising sprinter Jung Hee-dan won the women's 1,000m ^[7]. Jung took silver in the women's 500m at the 2024 and 2025 World Single Distances Championships back to back, and also won silver in the women's 500m at the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympics ^[7]. With so many names to look forward to, the future is bright! 💪

💛 Steady Support: Cheering for the Future of Speed Skating

CJ, as the official sponsor of the Korea Skating Union, exclusively sponsors speed skating and is helping build the future of the sport ^[8]. Support like this matters for a non-mainstream sport, and it helps athletes race harder on the ice. 🙌

The event continues through the 25th! Let's cheer with full pride in Korean speed skating all the way to the final race! 📣🇰🇷