Korea, Netherlands to exchange know-how in skating

Korea is the undisputed world champion in short-track skating. The Netherlands is the strongest nation in speed skating. Korea’s short track and the Netherlands’ speed skating teams have agreed to learn each other’s strengths ahead of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

According to the Korea Skating Union on Tuesday, the union and its Dutch counterpart have signed a strategic alliance for development of ice skating of the two nations at the presidential office on Monday. Chairman Kim Jae-yeol of KSU and Director Paul Sanders of the Dutch skating association KNSB signed a treaty on mutual cooperation in the presence of President Park Geun-hye and Dutch King Willem-Alexander on the day.

The Netherlands won a total of 23 medals, including eight of the 36 gold medals at stake in the speed skating competitions at this year’s Sochi Olympics. Korean short track skaters acquired two gold medals at the event.

Expectations run high as to what synergistic effects the partnership will bring about through integration of the Netherlands, the top speed skating powerhouse, and Korea, the short-track skating champion. The skating unions of the two nations plan to run programs to exchange players, coaches, trainers and union staff each other to boost the competitiveness of respective national teams. They also agreed to conduct far-reaching cooperation activities to expand and galvanize the skating communities of their nations.

Chairman Kim said, “The partnership with the Dutch skating association will provide a wonderful opportunity to create win-win situation by sharing of each other’s strengths.”