By Xu Aiying and Sohn JiAe
Photos = Yonhap News

The Korean women short-track speed skaters have added a gold medal to Team Korea’s basket of medals at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, winning the women's 3,000 m relay. It’s the nation’s second straight Olympic win in the event, after the Sochi 2014 Winter Games.

On Feb. 20, the Korean team rallied from third spot midway and late in the 27-lap race, with Shim Sukhee, Choi Minjeong, Kim Alang and Kim Yejin skating in turn, trying to snatch the lead from both China and Canada.

With six laps to go, Kim Alang picked up her pace from the outside and took the pole position after running two laps by herself. They faced a crisis with four laps remaining, when Kim Alang fell as she was shoving Kim Yejin to switch in the run, but Choi Minjeong, the PyeongChang gold medalist in the 1,500 m event, sprinted through the final lap, overtaking China and crossing the finish line first.



“I dreamed that my junior co-players would feel the same as I felt on the podium when my team won a gold medal in Sochi in 2014, and I’m pleased that the dream has come true today,” said Kim Alang after the match. “I’m satisfied that we put on a good performance, unscathed.”

“The pleasure that I have today is five times that which I had when I won my first PyeongChang gold medal, as five teammates can hang this second gold around their necks,” said Choi Minjeong.

Since the 3,000 m relay was adopted as an official Olympic event at the Albertville 1992 Winter Games, Team Korea has earned a total of six gold medals in the event at seven Olympic Winter Games. Korea is currently ranked first in the world rankings in the event.

xuaiy@korea.kr