South Korean short track speed skater Rim Jong-un crashed out of his quarterfinal in the men's 1,500 meters at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. The bronze medalist from the 1,000 meters event was seen as a strong contender. Rim expressed frustration over the ice conditions.
At the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on February 14, South Korean short track speed skater Rim Jong-un fell to the ice in the final corner of his quarterfinal race in the men's 1,500 meters at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan. Rim, who earned a bronze medal in the 1,000 meters on Thursday, was viewed as a strong medal contender in the 1,500 meters.
He stayed at the back of the pack before attempting an inside pass in the final stretch, but lost his balance and dropped out. "Leading up to the Olympics, I had the most confidence in the 1,500m. I am sorry that I wasn't able to show anything here," Rim said dejectedly. "From start to finish, I wasn't happy with the way I skated. I am really frustrated."
Rim attributed the fall to a particularly soft spot on the ice. Ice conditions at the arena, which also hosts figure skating, have been criticized by short trackers from South Korea and other countries for being too soft for aggressive strides and designed mainly for figure skaters. "I was trying to skate on the inside and push forward on a bad spot on the ice," he said. "The ice was even softer than normal, and I think that's why other skaters fell down in that particular area."
This marks Rim's first Winter Games, with the men's 500 meters and 5,000 meters relay still ahead. "I have more events coming up next week and I have to shake this off and put it out of my mind," he added. "It's not going to be easy, but I will have to get focused again."