Park Ji Won (KOR) is in a field of his own right now. The Korean won the debut ISU Crystal Globe in 2022-23 with a remarkable show of dominance – and then retained the trophy in its second year, 2023-24, in a much closer-fought contest again Steven Dubois (CAN).
Park has shown that he can triumph in a variety of ways. In his most successful event, the 1000m (which he has been overall World Cup classification winner of in three seasons – 2019-20, 2022-23 and 2023-24), his raw speed comes to the fore, as he often hits the front mid-race and blasts away the opposition with a devastating acceleration.
But Park is as much about tactics as he is physical prowess and technical excellence – in the 1500m (in which he has topped the classifications twice), he shows a remarkable aptitude for making a pass at the right time, and later on in a race, and never shies away from a tussle across the line.
It makes him almost the perfect Short Track speed skater. He’s also brimming with confidence and happy to declare his status as the world’s number one – Park will travel to the 2023-24 ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Rotterdam believing that the 1000m and 1500m are his for the taking.
In this film he discusses the Republic of Korea’s astonishing record in his sport and how it spurs him on to become a better racer, his dad’s influence, how Short Track is like “a war”, his mindset and his favourite cheat meal…
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