BEIJING– Before coming to Beijing for his third Winter Games, veteran South Korean short track speed skater Kwak Yoon-gy had said this would be his last Olympic hurrah.
Then on Monday, two days before his final race at Beijing 2022, Kwak didn’t seem so sure anymore.
“If I tell myself this is my last Olympic race, then I will end up putting more pressure on myself,” Kwak said after a training session near Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing. “In my heart of hearts, I’d like to try out for the next Olympics. But I’ll see what happens and take it one year at a time.”
The 32-year-old will take part in the men’s 5,000m relay final Wednesday. He anchored South Korea to first place in its semifinal heat Friday with a late burst of speed.
“We’re trying to stick to our fundamentals,” Kwak said of the main focus during training. “When I arrived in Beijing, I desperately wanted to win gold. But my mindset has changed. I will try to put the quality of the race ahead of the color of the medal.”
Because Kwak is only eligible for the relay here, he has had plenty of time to train with younger teammates and then watch them compete. He has seen them grow right before his eyes like a proud father.
The women’s 3,000m relay team earned the silver medal Sunday, and Kwak marveled at the team’s ability to rise to the occasion despite missing key members due to injury and off-ice trouble.
“I was extremely proud of them,” Kwak said. “I told them to keep trusting in their abilities. And to see them grab that medal gave me goose bumps.”
Among his male teammates, Kwak said he has learned so much about mental toughness from Park Jang-hyuk, who sustained cuts to his left hand in an inadvertent collision with another skater during an earlier race and received 11 stitches.
The incident happened during the quarterfinals of the men’s 1,000m last Monday. He missed the semifinals later that evening but has since competed in the 1,500m and the relay heats.
“He is incredible. If I had been in that situation, I would have been a mess mentally,” Kwak said. “His work ethic and preparation are second to none. I feel like I have to hold up my end of the bargain to support these guys.”
Kwak made his Olympic debut at Vancouver 2010 and helped South Korea to the relay silver. He missed Sochi 2014 with injuries but came back for PyeongChang 2018, though South Korea was shut out in the relay at both competitions.
Kwak said he also didn’t enjoy himself as much as he should have then, and he wants to change that this time.
“I am ready to give this race everything I have,” Kwak said of Wednesday’s final. “I am going to leave here without any regrets.”
Source: Yonhap News Agency