Two Teenagers Grab Silver, Bronze in 1,500M
By Matt Flemming
Korea Times Correspondent
Teenagers Lee Eun-byul and Park Seung-hi contributed to what was a great day on Sunday (KST) for Korea in short track at the Pacific Coliseum at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, claiming silver and bronze in the women's 1,500 meters in a competition where favorite Wang Meng, the gold medalist in the 500 meters, was controversially disqualified in the semifinals.
The pair of teenagers, 18-year-old Lee and 17-year-old Park, become Korea'snewest stars in the sport, and have given the women's team some much needed redemption after failing to send a single skater to the final of the 500 meterslast week.
Even without Wang in the final, China still managed to edge the Koreans as Zhou Yang won the race in a time of 2:16.993. Lee followed in 2:17.849 and Park clocked in at 2:17.927.
Cho Ha-ri was fifth.The event saw a field of eight skaters in a crowded final after a chaotic semifinal round. In the second semi, the top four skaters all crashed within the final few laps. Canadian Kalyna Roberge was the first to lose an edge, and then a second collision saw Cho, who was leading the race; Wang; and American Katherine Reutter crash with four laps to go, allowing Erika Huszar of Hungary and Evgenia Radanova of Bulgaria to grab the two qualifications for the final.
While it appeared that Reutter initiated the crash, Wang was shockingly disqualified, leaving the final without the sport's most prolific and dominant women's champion. As a result, Cho and Reutter were both advanced to the finalby the judge.
Lee had an easy time in her semifinal, moving to the front of the pack with 10 laps to go and holding on for an easy win. Park, meanwhile, won the third semi over Zhou. In the final, Park took the early lead while the other Koreans stayed near theback of the field.
Zhou stayed close and made a move with two laps to go,taking the lead and streaking way out ahead of both Park and Lee, who had alsomade a late charge. The women's 1,000 meters begins Thursday (KST) and Korea has also qualified for the final of the women's 3000-meter relay along with Canada, China and the United States on the same day.The women's 1,000 meters wraps up on Saturday (KST).