Speed skater Kim Min-sun trying to peak in time for Olympics
Speed skater Kim Min-sun speaks to reporters at Incheon International Airport, Tuesday, after returning from the International Skating Union Speed Skating World Cup in Norway. Yonhap
Following a shaky start to her season in November, speed skater Kim Min-sun claimed her first World Cup medal of the campaign over the weekend in Norway, with a third-place finish in her main event, the 500 meters.
And with the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics less than two months away, Kim said Tuesday she is trying to peak in time for the big event.
"Reaching the podium in my last event (before the Olympics) gave me confidence," Kim told reporters at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, after returning from the fourth leg of the International Skating Union (ISU) Speed Skating World Cup in Lillehammer. "I'd waited for so long to win a medal, so that made it extra special."
Kim, 26, was the most dominant force in the women's 500m during the 2022-23 season, when she swept up five consecutive World Cup titles and added a silver. In the following seasons, however, Kim hasn't been able to capture the same form.
This season, she opened the ISU World Cup season with back-to-back 17th-place finishes. It wasn't until the third World Cup stop in Germany two weeks ago that Kim finally cracked the top 10 with a seventh-place showing.
There were two 500m races in Lillehammer. Kim ranked sixth in the first one and then grabbed the bronze medal in the second race.
She finished 11th in the overall World Cup points standings, safely inside the cutoff line for the Olympic quota place.
Kim said her recent patterns of having slow starts followed by better races are all by design, as she hopes to hit her stride in February, rather than in November or December. And Kim remains South Korea's best hope for an Olympic medal on the long track.
"I've been trying to build up incrementally for the Olympics, but I've been disappointed at times because my results weren't as good as I'd hoped," Kim said. "But I kept reminding myself that the one who gets the last laugh is the real winner. I've been able to get through each and every day by picturing myself in the future (at the Olympics).
"I am not at my 100 percent yet," Kim added. "I will be ready to show everything I have at the Olympics."