At the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, South Korea's men's short track speed skating 5,000-meter relay team secured a spot in the final by winning their semifinal heat, positioning them for a first title in 20 years. The quartet of Lee June-seo, Rim Jong-un, Lee Jeong-min and Shin Dong-min beat the Netherlands to top Heat 2. The final is set for Friday.
On Monday, February 16, at the Milano Ice Skating Arena during the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, South Korea's men's 5,000-meter short track relay team started the 45-lap semifinal Heat 2 in the back of the pack. They moved to second place with nine laps remaining, and with six laps to go, Lee Jeong-min executed a deft inside pass to take the lead. Shin Dong-min then pulled away, Lee June-seo maintained the position, and anchor Rim Jong-un held off Dutch star Jens van 't Wout to secure first place. Van 't Wout had won gold in the 1,000m and 1,500m events in Milan this month.
Canada and Italy advanced from Heat 1. South Korea's last men's relay title came at the 2006 Turin Olympics, also held in Italy. Rim Jong-un is seeking a second medal after bronze in the 1,000m, while Lee June-seo was part of the silver-medal team at Beijing 2022. Lee Jeong-min and Shin Dong-min are aiming for their first Olympic medals.
Lee June-seo said the team executed "more than 90 percent" of their race plans. "With the ice conditions not ideal, we felt it wouldn't be easy to take the lead early and stay there," he added. "So we conserved our energy and then tried to move out in front in the late stages. Everyone played their role to perfection."
Lee Jeong-min, who made the key pass, noted he was nervous until the start but settled in after a few laps. Rim, who competed minutes after elimination in the 500m heats, said, "Hopefully, I will do better in the relay than in my individual events."
