[PyeongChang 2018] Korea nets unexpected speedskating bronze

After skating disappointment on Thursday, South Korean athletes scored a surprise success at the Gangneung Oval in the men’s speedskating Friday.

Kim Tae-yun secured an unexpected medal in the 1,000 meter event of the PyeongChang Olympics, with a time of 1 minute 8.22 seconds to secure bronze.

The Netherlands’ Kjeld Nuis took gold with a time of 1:07.95, just 0.04 second ahead of Norway’s Harvard Lorentzen, who took silver.

Two other Korean skaters competed, Cha Min-gyu, who finished 12th, and 13th-placed Jung Jae-woong.

Korea had not been expecting a medal in this event. Eleven other finalists had season’s best times faster than Kim Tae-yun, this season’s fastest Korean skater going into the race.

Korea’s second-fastest skater this season, 2010 silver medalist Mo Tae-bum, had widely been expected to compete was fielded as a substitute. The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee explained Mo fell in training as the reason for replacing him with Cha, another surprise medal winner this games, with silver in the 500.

(paulkerry@heraldcorp.com)