Ji Won Park (KOR) at the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating (GER) 2020©International Skating Union (ISU)
One of Short Track Speed Skater Park Ji Won’s final utterances of the 2019/20 season was: “People need to respect me.” Given he is the Men’s World No.1, topped both the 1000m and 1500m ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating rankings and claimed the overall ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating title, it is fair to say the Korean has earned that respect.
It has been a stellar winter for Park. Having spread his three previous individual ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating wins over five years, the Seoul resident stuffed nine more into four months – and that’s not even counting his Relay victories.
Ji Won Park (KOR), Kim Dong Wook (KOR), An Kai (CHN) and Steven Dubois (CAN) at the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating (NED) 2020©International Skating Union (ISU)
It started with a 1500m victory in Montreal in November before Park left his rivals flailing as he secured 1000m and 1500m titles at three of the final four ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating events.
The second of those three distance doubles came at the penultimate elite gathering of the season, held in Dresden, Germany. It was there that Park ascended to the top of the world standings for the first time.
Ji Won Park (KOR) and Lee June Seo (KOR) at the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating (NED) 2020©International Skating Union (ISU)
“I want to show everyone that I am the strongest in the world at 1000m and 1500m,” he told the ISU at the time, before giving a glimpse into the reasons behind his red-hot form. “I’m very happy. I feel like I’ve built up my body now and the happier I am, the better I skate.”
Han Tianyu (CHN), Park Ji Won (KOR), Semen Elistratov (RUS), Shaoang Liu (HUN) and Daan Breeuwsma (NED) at the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating (CHN) 2019©International Skating Union (ISU)
Despite China’s Han Tianyu enjoying some fine results in the 1000m and compatriot Lee June Seo climbing on to the podium five times in the 1500m, neither men got within 4500 points of Park in the season-long rankings.
The 23-year-old topped it off in perfect style, displaying formidable finishing power as he eased to gold in his two favorite events at the season-closing ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating in Dordrecht.
Ji Won Park (KOR) at the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating (NED) 2020©International Skating Union (ISU)
“I have been training hard since I was little and I still do that every day,” he said. “I think it’s all falling into place right now. But I still want to be faster. I would like to improve my skills and tactics more and more.”
