Korea fails to reach semifinals in men's team pursuit

Olympic Sports

Published: 13 Feb. 2022, 23:14 Updated: 14 Feb. 2022, 13:21

Korea fails to reach semifinals in men's team pursuit

From front to back, Lee Seung-hoon, Chung Jae-won and Kim Min-seok in action during the men's speed skating team pursuit quarter finals at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing on Sunday. [EPA/YONHAP]

The Korean men’s speed skating team finished sixth in the team pursuit quarterfinals on Sunday at National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, losing out on a spot in the semifinals.

Beijing 1,500-meter bronze medalist Kim Min-seok was joined by Chung Jae-won and Lee Seung-hoon in group one alongside Italy.

Team pursuit involves three skaters per country racing together both against another team and the clock. Kim started out the race with Lee taking lead next, then Chung took the lead, crossing the finish line with a time of 3:41.89.

From front to back, Kim Min-seok, Lee Seung-hoon and Chung Jae-won race in the men's team pursuit at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing on Sunday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

After the four groups of two countries finished their races, Korea landed sixth out of eight countries. With the four fastest teams advancing to the semifinals, Korea will instead advance to the final C race alongside fifth-place Canada.

Seventh-place Italy and eighth-place China will advance to the final D race. Norway, the United States, Russia and Netherlands will compete in the semifinals on Tuesday evening.

Kim will next compete in the men’s 1,000-meter race on Friday, looking for his second medal at the Beijing Games. Lee and Chung will then join Kim in the men’s mass start on Saturday.

BY YUN SO-HYANG [yun.sohyang@joongang.co.kr]