She was perfect. Then, she took a step further. Kim Ki-li (Seongnam City Hall), who has emerged as the ace skater for short track speed skating in Korea, is the main character.
Kim participated in the 2023/24 Short Track Speed Skating World Cup of KB Financial Group CUP-ISU, which took place at Mokdong Ice Rink in Seoul from July 15 to 17, and won gold medals in both the first and second races of the 1,500-meter race, winning her first World Cup title this season. She also won a bronze medal in the mixed relay 2,000 meters and a silver medal in the women’s 3,000 meters, enjoying joy on the podium not only in individual but also in team events.
She got off to a flying start. Kim ranked first with a time of 2:36.749 in the first preliminary round of the 1,500-meter race on Sunday, the second day of the competition, and ranked first in the group with a time of 2:40:868 in the semifinal, securing a ticket to the finals. She was the first to cross the finish line with a time of 2:35:785 in the finals, and won the gold medal.
The second race of the 1,500-meter women’s race on the following day was also flawless. Kim easily secured a ticket to the finals with a time of 2:29.889 in the semifinals, and successfully hunted for gold medals for two consecutive days with a time of 2:23.746, beating Kristen Santos of the U.S., and Hurner Desmott of Belgium.
No matter how “ace” it is, it is hard to harvest more than two gold medals in a single competition. It was never easy considering that the competition was held at home. Moreover, she could have had a lot of physical burden as she played both individual and female race.
However, he was determined to win a gold medal and multiple gold medals. “I felt physically burdened, but I think I did my best to achieve my goal,” Kim said with a smile. “I was a little disappointed in Gyeju, but I feel fresh and happy to win multiple gold medals in a World Cup for the first time in Korea. I feel more at ease after winning multiple gold medals in individual competitions.”
Notably, Kim repeatedly displayed scenes in which he stayed in the middle and lower ranks at the beginning of the race to watch his opponent move, before reversing course to overtaking the outside course. “When you turn outside, you consume a lot of physical energy compared to the player in the race. I believe that physical strength and speed are important, and I exercise a lot (on a regular basis). I tend to run long distances a lot,” Kim said.
Having started making her name known through the junior competition, Kim put on the national flag as she ranked first overall in the national team selection competition last season. After winning her first individual gold medal in the women’s 1,500 meters in the second competition of the 2022-2023 season, she showed rapid growth and attracted attention as an ace who will lead the national team along with Choi Min-jeong (Seongnam City Hall).
At the World Championships held in Seoul in March, Kim failed to produce any significant results, but she did not give up. She started off smoothly with a gold medal in the second race of the women’s 1,000m and a silver medal in the 1,500m race in the first event of this season, and continued her upward trend with a gold medal in the first race of the women’s 1,500m and a silver medal in the second race. She also added a silver medal in the women’s 1,500m race in the third event, maintaining the top spot in the world rankings among prominent athletes. 월카지노
Kim Ki-li, who clearly marked her name in this competition, still feels that she has a long way to go. “I still feel a lot of pressure, and I think I have a long way to go before becoming an ace. I want to work harder and show you what an ace looks like,” Kim said.
At this rate, Kim will be able to embrace the “Crystal Globe,” which is given to the top male and female players. The “Crystal Globe” was a new award last season, and the first winners were Park Ji-won (Seoul Metropolitan Government) in men’s category and Xujan Swelling (the Netherlands).
Currently, the gap between Kim Ki-li, who has 865 points in the ranking, and Santos and Griswold, who is ranking second, is 60 points. If Kim Ki-li continues to play in the fifth and sixth competitions, he is highly likely to maintain his No. 1 ranking. “As I am currently No. 1, I am greedy. I will do my best to keep my No. 1 ranking,” Kim said.
Meanwhile, the fifth and sixth World Cup tournaments scheduled for February 2024 will be held in Dresden, Germany, and Gdansk, Poland, respectively.