Choi Min-jeong's 'Last Dance' Is About to Begin: "Short Track World Tour Opens on the 24th"... Lim Jong-eon's Disciplinary Action for 'Doping Report Violation' Remains a Variable

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'The Legend of Korean Short Track' Choi Min-jeong (28, Seongnam City Hall) will skate her final ice rink while wearing the national emblem.

The 2026~2027 International Skating Union (ISU) Short Track World Tour kicks off its long journey on the 24th (Korean time) with the first stage in Vancouver, Canada. This season will be Choi Min-jeong's final stage as a national team member. After completing the selection trials last April, she announced her retirement from the national team at the end of this season. She plans to bid farewell to domestic fans at the World Championships to be held next March at the Seoul Mokdong Ice Rink.

Choi Min-jeong is the holder of the most medals (7) in the history of Korean Winter and Summer Olympics. Starting with a double crown at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, she maintained her position as the world's top athlete by collecting a total of four gold medals and three silver medals through the 2022 Beijing Olympics (1 gold, 2 silver) and the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Olympics (1 gold, 1 silver).

The Korean short track national team, led by head coach Lee Jae-kyung, aims for a men's and women's overall victory for the first time in three years and the recovery of the Crystal Globe this season. Last season, Canada swept all titles in the men's and women's MVP categories as well as the team event. William Dinnies and Courtney Sarault received the awards in the men's and women's divisions, respectively.

In the women's division, Choi Min-jeong leads Kim Gili and Shim Suk-hee in individual events, while Kim Min-ji and Choi Ji-hyun take charge of relays. In the men's division, Lim Jong-eon, Lee Jung-min, and Kim Tae-seong hold qualification for individual events, and Bae Seo-chan and Shin Dong-min compete as relay members.

However, the disciplinary status of men's ace Lim Jong-eon remains a variable. Lim Jong-eon has been placed in a situation facing severe sanctions after violating the location reporting requirements for unannounced doping tests by the International Testing Agency (ITA) three times over the past year. Although he is currently undergoing an explanation procedure, regulations allow for a maximum two-year suspension of eligibility, meaning he could potentially withdraw from the season midway in the worst-case scenario.

The World Tour will be held seven times this season. Following the first stage in Vancouver, it will proceed through Montreal (2nd), Seoul (3rd), Shanghai (4th), Beijing (5th), Gdansk (6th), and Tilburg (7th). Domestically, the third stage of the World Tour will be held for three days starting on the 20th of next month. The World Championships will be held from March 12 to 14 next year.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original