|
 |
Short-track's youth movement
By Maria Titze
Deseret News staff writer
A heavily favored Korean short-track relay team was disqualified Wednesday night after one of its skaters slipped around a turn and careened into the boards in the semifinals of the men's 5,000-meter.
Ryoung Min took an Italian skater down with him and was later charged with impeding. He was taken from the ice on a stretcher and treated at LDS Hospital for possible back and hip injuries, according to venue medical officials.
The race, more than half completed, was called and skated again.
"When you're almost finished with the relay and you're told you've got to skate another 45 laps, it's tough to get into another high level racing mode," said American Ron Biondo. But the Americans went on to beat both Italy and Australia and advance to a Feb. 23 final.
The U.S. team, mired during the past month in allegations of race-fixing and doubts about unity, seemed buoyed by the chants of "USA" that thundered in the Salt Lake Ice Center.
"They're not cheering for Dan Weinstein or Rusty Smith. They're cheering for all of us," Weinstein told reporters.
The crowd erupted in cheers earlier in the evening, too, when America's best shot at an individual gold medal in short-track speedskating, Apolo Anton Ohno, took the ice for the first time in these Games.
Ohno skated the 1,000-meter heat with measured intensity, coming just behind former world champion Dong-Sung Kim of Korea. Both advance to the semifinals Saturday.
"Finally getting out there was a relief," Ohno said. "I tested the ice a little bit and felt out the crowd."
Teammate Smith not only won his 1,000 heat but set an Olympic record time for the 1,000 meters — 1:28.183 seconds, besting the record set by a Japanese skater in Nagano in 1998.
In the debut of the 1,500-meter event in Olympic competition, two Korean teenagers stood up to an intimidating lineup of veterans in the women's final.
Gi-Hyun Ko, 15, won the gold medal — the first for her country this week — overcoming an injury to her arm and "some difficulty breathing at altitude."
"I'm happy to be able to give this gold medal to Korea," Ko said through an interpreter. She is the youngest women's individual short-track gold medalist in Olympic history.
The silver went to Ko's teammate, 17-year-old Eun Kyung Choi, who set a world record in the 1,500 in the semifinal. The bronze was won by two-time Olympian Evgenia Radanova of Bulgaria. Yang Yang (A) of China came fourth.
American Amy Peterson had a disappointing semifinal race. "I've struggled with my long distances all season," she said. "I knew the 1,500 was going to be my toughest race."
American Erin Porter was disqualified for impeding in an early heat.
E-MAIL: mtitze@desnews.com
|
|
February 14, 2002
|
