Speed-Skating Medal Hopes Rest With Ahn

South Korea’s 48-athlete delegation will participate in eight events, including ice-sports and skiing, at this year’s Torino Winter Olympics.

They are aiming for three gold medals and tenth place in the overall medal standings.

Korea has a few strong candidates for the gold-

As usual, South Korea anticipates gold medals in short-track speed skating. Whether or not South Korea will take tenth place in the combined scores depends on its short-track athletes. The brunt of these expectations falls on the shoulders of Ahn Hyun-soo (21, Korea National Sports University) who was the youngest member of the South Korean national team at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics four years ago.

Ahn has been training with his peers at the Taereung Athletic Village since last November following the fourth World Cup.

Ahn’s first assignment is to win the gold in the men’s 1,500m race that will be held on February 13 (Korea time). It was in the 1,500m race where Kim Dong-sung lost to Apollo Anton Ono due to a disqualification four years ago. Ahn is also aiming for the gold in the 1,000m individual and 5,000m relay.

Ahn’s biggest rival for the gold is America’s Ono, who is still in his prime. MSNBC recently ranked him third among athletes most likely to win gold medals for U.S. team. Ono won the 500m and 1,000m events at the U.S. national championship last year and took home America’s top national ranking. He is tougher and more skilled than he was four years ago.

“Ono is not the only one we have to worry about, however. Italians have the home-field advantage,” Ahn said. “I’m focusing my training on being able to handle different situations better.”

Sung-Kyu Kim kimsk@donga.com