⛸️ Speed Skating Stars Sweep Winter Games & Juniors Rise Up! 🔥 - 2026.02.28 | Speed Skating

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

March has already begun! (Time flies, doesn't it? 😲) While the heat of the Milano Olympics still lingers, we have news of our athletes' fiery performances both at home and abroad. I've packed this newsletter with everything from feel-good news to some serious topics, so let's dive right in! 🚀

🥇 The Protagonists of the Winter National Sports Festival!

The 107th National Winter Sports Festival concluded on the 28th of last month ^[1]. Gyeonggi-do set a massive record by winning the overall championship for the 23rd consecutive time with the highest score ever ^[1]. Our speed skaters' performances were truly amazing! 👍

National team stars Kim Min-sun and Chung Jae-won each won 3 gold medals ^[6]. Class is permanent! But wait, some scary teenagers have appeared to challenge their seniors. 😱

I'm talking about Kim Jun-ha (Seongnam Seohyeon High) and Lim Lee-won (Uijeongbu Girls' High)! These two rising stars showed MVP-level performances by winning a whopping 4 gold medals at this tournament ^[2]. Kim Jun-ha swept the Mass Start and 1000m, while Lim Lee-won also took gold in the 3000m and Mass Start ^[2]. Doesn't the future of Korean speed skating look bright? ✨

👶 'Little Taegeuk Warriors' Taking Over the World Stage

Our junior athletes are shining not just domestically but also on the international stage! 🌍

At the 2025/26 ISU Junior Speed Skating World Cup 3rd Leg, our national team won 2 Gold, 2 Silver, and 3 Bronze medals ^[3]. In particular, they brought home 3 medals in the Mass Start alone, properly showing off our status as a 'Mass Start Powerhouse' ^[3].

Video footage from the Junior World Championships currently taking place in Inzell, Germany, has also been released, so check out our athletes' powerful skating in the videos! ^[9] ^[10]

🏗️ "We Need a New Home" The Battle for the International Skating Rink

Let's talk about something a bit more serious. We received a disappointing report card of 'No Medals' in speed skating for the first time in 24 years at this Milano Olympics ^[4]. Many experts point to outdated training environments as the cause.

The current Taereung International Skating Rink is scheduled for demolition, so management is poor and the ice quality is reportedly bad. It breaks my heart to hear athletes complain that "the difference between domestic and overseas ice quality is so great that it's hard to adapt" 😢 ^[4].

Fortunately, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has decided to directly oversee the construction of a replacement skating rink, and local governments like Chuncheon, Wonju, and Cheorwon have jumped into the bidding competition ^[4]. We need a lot of interest from you fans so that our athletes can train in a better environment and soar again in 2030! 🙏

📺 Kim Bo-reum's Honest Confession

Lastly, an update on the eternal 'Mass Start Empress' Kim Bo-reum. She recently appeared on a TV show and revealed her feelings after retirement. Kim Bo-reum, who took off her skates for the last time on December 31st last year, is considering a second life as a coach, commentator, or psychological counselor ^[5].

It was touching to see her talk about the emotional hardships she went through during the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics and how she has become stronger since then. Whatever path she chooses, as a speed skating fan, I will always cheer for her! Fighting! 💪 ^[5]

That's all for this week's news. Be careful not to catch a cold during the changing seasons, and see you again next week! Bye~ 👋