South Korean speed skater Chung Jae-won, set to compete in the men's mass start at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, placed 14th in an unexpected 1,500m race on Thursday to fine-tune his preparation. The 2022 Olympic silver medalist in mass start is aiming for his third career medal on Saturday.
At the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, South Korean speed skater Chung Jae-won was originally slated only for the men's mass start. However, when a spot opened in the 1,500m on Thursday, he hesitated due to concerns about disrupting his mass start training but ultimately participated. At Milano Speed Skating Stadium, he finished 14th out of 30 skaters with a time of 1:45.80.
After the race, Chung told reporters, "I was worried that a race would mess up my training schedule for the mass start. But I decided a competitive race would help me feel a bit more relaxed and get a better feel for my speed here." He noted his last 1,500m was about two years ago, adding, "I've only been skating on the inner lane while working on the mass start, and so it felt awkward skating on the outer lane. My time wasn't all that bad today. I felt a little wound up because it was my first race here, but I think it was good to get some nerves out of my system."
The mass start is a hybrid event combining traditional long track speed skating with tactical short track elements, where all skaters compete together and physical contact is allowed. Chung said his preparation is "almost complete," stating, "I believe I have an edge over other skaters in my cornering skills. I'll try to take advantage of my strengths and respond to whatever situations that arise."
American Jordan Stolz, who has won golds in the 500m and 1,000m and silver in the 1,500m, will seek a fourth medal in the mass start. Chung predicted, "I am predicting Stolz will have that explosive burst of speed with a couple of laps to go and leave everyone in the dust. But if I can stay with him and others, I will definitely have my chance. I need to stay locked in."
Chung earned silver in the team pursuit at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics at age 16 and silver in mass start at Beijing 2022, plus a medal in this season's World Cup. His goal is "to reach the podium here. I would love to go to the highest spot."
The semifinals are scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday, followed by the final at 4:40 p.m.