After the successful hosting of a test ski jump competition, ice skating is now ready to take its turn.

Ahead of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games, a series of test events are being held across Gangwon-do Province, host of the next Olympic Winter Games.

As the first test competition, the FIS Snowboard Big Air World Cup finished on Nov. 26 with favorable responses. The next test event will be held at the Gangneung Ice Arena.

The first ice skating competition to be held is short track, which Korea has dominated at many past Olympics and world cups.

The KB ISU Short Track World Cup 2016-2017 will be from Dec. 16 to 18 and will be the first international ice skating event to be held at the Gangneung Ice Arena, a stadium built specifically for the upcoming Winter Olympics.

About 350 athletes from 35 countries have registered for pre-entry at the event. These athletes will compete in the 10 official sport disciplines: individual men’s and women’s matches in the 500 meters, 1,000 meters, 1,500 meters, doubles in the 1,000 meters, and women’s group matches in the 3,000-meter relay, and men’s group matches in the 5,000-meter relay.

Attending the upcoming short track world cup will be Marianne St-Gelais of Canada, who topped the world rankings of the most recent ISU World Cup Season, and Elise Christie of the U.K., who holds the world record in the women’s 500-meter event.

The competition will also include Korean world-leading athletes Shim Suk-hee, gold medalist in the 3,000-meter relay at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games, and Choe Min-jeong, who became the 2015 Overall Ladies World Champion of the ISU Short Track World Cup of the 2014-2015 season.

”The upcoming short track world cup will be the first test event to be held at the newly built stadium,” said President Lee Hee-beom of the PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games.

“We will do our best to prepare for the upcoming test events so that we can make all the athletes from participating countries, ISU members and the press, as well as the audience, feel safe and satisfied,” President Lee said.

By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photo: Korea.net DB
arete@korea.kr