"The Empress" Choi Min-jeong's unfamiliar report card, 3 consecutive "No Medal" disappointing... "I wasn't good enough" You have 2 chances left [the scene of Milan]

*This content was translated by AI.

It is an unfamiliar report card for "Short Track Empress," who was always familiar with the highest place on the podium. Choi Min-jeong (Seongnam City Hall), the star of Korean short track speed skating, turned empty-handed in the third event of this competition.

Choi Min-jeong failed to advance to the final by finishing fourth in the women's 1,000m semi-finals at the 2026 Milan-Cortina D'Ampezzo Winter Olympics held at the Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy on the 16th (local time). He finished third in the subsequent Final B (ranking match) and finished eighth in the final.

It's a disappointing result. Choi Min-jeong failed to hunt for a medal in the 1,000m, one of the main events, following her elimination from the preliminary round of the mixed 2000m relay and the women's 500m quarterfinal. Since he was called a "medal guarantee check" at the 2018 Pyeongchang and 2022 Beijing Games, the silence of "no medal" in three consecutive events comes even more regrettably.

The race was a match that revealed the changing trend of the world's short track and Choi Min-jeong's concerns. Choi Min-jeong started from the back in the semifinals and aimed to turn the tables with her unique out-course run. However, the players who formed the lead from the beginning rarely gave up a gap. Choi Min-jeong's winning formula, which used to overpower the opponent with an explosive last-minute spurt in the past, no longer works easily.

After the game, Choi Min-jeong also acknowledged this. "There was a tactical regret," he said when he met in the joint coverage area (Mix Zone). The starting position for the 1,000m is important now, but since I started from the back, I ran the game in a hurry," he said. "The game didn't work out well because I bumped into it during the pursuit process."

Some point out that it is a crisis for Korean short track speed skating. Analysts say that it has become difficult for Korea to gain an overwhelming advantage only with technology and operation at a time when the physical and speed of Western players such as the Netherlands and Canada have been leveled upward. In fact, Choi Min-jeong has been struggling throughout this tournament in the battle for seats and physical fights.

Choi, however, faced reality instead of making excuses. "It's unfortunate, but it's because I'm not good enough," he said calmly. "I'll accept it quickly and prepare for the next game."

There are only two chances left. The women's 1,500m and 3,000m relays, which are equivalent to Choi Min-jeong's "The Home Room," are waiting. In particular, the 1,500m is an event that Choi Min-jeong is aiming for her third consecutive Olympic victory and the last bastion to restore her self-esteem.

Will "The Empress" be able to overcome the disappointment of three consecutive no-medals. Fans' attention is focused on Choi Min-jeong's skating day.

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*This content was translated by AI.