⛸️ Milano 'No Medal' Shock... When is the New Rink Coming? 🏟️ & World Championship News! - 2026.03.05 | Speed Skating

Hello, Speed Skating fans! It's Speed Skating Mania! 👋

Today, I brought some painful reality checks from the Korean skating world alongside heated news from overseas competitions. I think we need to start with the heavy stuff. 😢

🚨 Emergency! Korean Speed Skating Crisis & 'Bed Administration'

Fans, you all know, right? At the recent 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, our speed skating national team received a shocking report card of 'No Medals' for the first time in 24 years ^[1]. It's the first time since 2002, so the fans were really heartbroken.

But what's more frustrating is the news about the 'new rink' for the athletes to train in. The Taereung International Skating Rink has to be demolished by 2027 because the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty are listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites ^[1]. That's next year, but the location for the replacement rink hasn't been decided yet! 😡

Seven local governments, including Gimpo, Yangju, and Chuncheon, have stepped up to host it, but the selection process has been drifting for three years due to conflicts between the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism ^[1]. The article criticized this as 'Bed Administration' like 'Bed Soccer', just lying down and stalling for time ^[1]. It's said that completion might be difficult by the 2030 Olympics, so where on earth are our athletes supposed to train... I'm really worried.

🇳🇱 World Championship Heat in the Netherlands

Let's switch the mood and deliver some international competition news! The ISU Speed Skating World Championships (Sprint) are currently in full swing in Heerenveen, Netherlands! 🔥

On March 5th (local time), the races unfolded amidst the enthusiastic cheering of the home crowd.

Women's 1000m: The Dutch star Femke Kok participated and showed a fantastic race . Short track empress Suzanne Schulting also appeared on the speed skating 1000m stage ^[4].
Heartwarming Scene: After the fierce competition, beautiful sportsmanship also encroached. Femke Kok was caught hugging and encouraging Canada's Beatrice Lamarche, and isn't this exactly the charm of sports? 🥰 ^[2].
Men's 500m: The Dutch rising star Jenning de Boo also sprinted powerfully on his home track ^[3].

I earnestly hope that the infrastructure problems for Korean speed skating are resolved quickly so that our athletes can train with peace of mind and stand at the top of the world again! 🙏

Everyone, be careful not to catch a cold, and see you in the next newsletter!