⛸️ K-Skating Day with 1 Billion Won Prize Money! Special Fan Service from Our Speed Skaters! - 2026.04.28 | Speed Skating

Hello, fans! Ice Speed Maniac here! 👋 Did everyone hear the news about the massive festival in our ice skating community last weekend? It's about the 'K-Skating Day' event held grandly at the Mokdong Indoor Ice Rink in Seoul on April 26! As a speed skating fan, you absolutely cannot miss this, so I've summarized all the hot news from the passionate scene just for you. I heard this event boasted an unprecedented scale and fun, so pay attention!

💰 Unprecedented 1 Billion Won Prize Party! Ice Skating Festival

A staggering 2,000 fans attended this K-Skating Day, brightening the venue ^[1]. Seeing so many fans gather made me realize once again just how incredibly popular our ice skating sports are.

Among all the events, the most talked-about was definitely the special prize money ceremony of about 1 billion won, generously prepared by Sambo Motors Group, the president company of the Korea Skating Union! Generous prize money was given to the medalists who elevated South Korea's status by performing brilliantly at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics and various major international competitions, as well as to the coaches who silently dedicated themselves behind the scenes ^[1].

Looking at the specific prize amounts is jaw-dropping. Individual event gold medalists received a whopping 120 million won, silver medalists 60 million won, and bronze medalists 40 million won. Team event medalists also received 50 million won for gold, 40 million won for silver, and 30 million won for bronze respectively ^[1]. Seeing athletes like short track's Kim Gilli and Choi Min-jeong receive clear rewards for their sweat and hard work made my heart swell with pride. It was even more meaningful and touching because it wasn't limited to a specific discipline, but the entire ice skating community gathered to celebrate together!

🥌 Surprise Curling Skills of Speed Skating Athletes?!

Aside from the serious and touching prize ceremony, there was a special and fun event prepared that made fans' hearts flutter. It was a segment where our athletes and fans directly interacted and had a great time on the ice!

Our proud national speed skaters Park Ji-woo, Lee Na-hyun, Lim Ri-won, and Cho Seung-min teamed up with fans to play a very special game ^[2]. Interestingly, our speed skaters, who normally compete for speed faster than anyone else on the ice, put down their skates for a moment and enjoyed a 'curling game' with the fans! 🥌

Looking at the released photos from the scene, Lee Na-hyun and Lim Ri-won were captured mingling naturally with fans, smiling brightly while pushing curling stones ^[3]. It overflowed with a friendly and cute contrasting charm, completely different from the sharp and charismatic racing instinct they show on the track during competitions. Isn't it so wonderful to see the athletes laughing, chatting, and communicating so closely with fans? 😍 As a fan, I'm just so happy to discover new charms of our athletes thanks to events like this!

⛸️ Grand Integration of Disciplines! A Captivating Ice Show

The heat of the event didn't end there. In the second part, a diverse ice show-style performance unfolded magnificently, with representative athletes from speed skating, short track, and figure skating all participating together ^[1].

Usually, it's not easy for them to gather in one place as they train and compete separately in their respective disciplines. It's truly amazing and touching that they broke down the walls between disciplines and all ice skaters became one to present a wonderful stage for the fans. A stage where the refreshing sprints of speed skating, the dynamic cornering of short track, and the beautiful performances of figure skating come together—isn't it thrilling just to imagine?

Korea Skating Union President Lee Soo-kyung, who attended the event, expressed his overwhelming feelings, saying, "This event was a meaningful occasion to look back on the achievements of Korean ice skating and prepare for future leaps," and "Above all, I think it is very meaningful that it ended successfully as a festival where athletes, fans, and all ice skaters mingled together" ^[1]. The Union also promised to create various programs and opportunities for communication to expand the base and ensure the continuous development of ice skating, so my expectations as a fan are very high!

This K-Skating Day was the best time to confirm once again how much our athletes care for and love their fans, and how tightly connected the Korean ice skating community is. I hope there will be more frequent opportunities to meet and communicate closely with our speed skating athletes like this in the future!

I'll be back in the next newsletter with plenty of fruitful and fun news that will make speed skating fans' hearts pound. Please continue to give your unwavering love and passionate support to our national speed skating athletes who are sweating profusely on the track every day preparing for the next season! Fighting, speed skating! 🔥