‘2028 LA Olympics in Sight’: Full-Scale Restructuring of the National Cycling Team Underway, National Representative Evaluation Meet Concluded

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The Korea Cycling Federation successfully concluded the 2026 National Representative Evaluation Meet, marking the first step toward the 2028 Los Angeles (LA) Olympics.

The federation announced that it has completed all national representative selection evaluation meets for both track and road cycling, with the track events held at the Jin Cheon-guk-ga (CEO) Athletes’ Village Velodrome from October 22 to 23 serving as the final competition.

This evaluation meet served as a key process for selecting the 2027 national team, aiming to discover promising next-generation athletes and reorganize the team’s competitive strength. Based on the scores from this evaluation, the Koo Seong-doel (CEO) team is scheduled to compete at the Track Asian Championships in Malaysia in January of next year to assess its international competitiveness and begin competing for Olympic quota spots.

The rise of newcomers and the return of veterans stood out during this evaluation meet. In men’s sprint events, Jeon Woo-ju (19, Geumsan County Office) and Oh Min-jae (27, Yangyang County Office), a silver medalist in the team sprint at the 2025 World Junior Championships, demonstrated strong competitiveness, particularly in the start phase. In women’s sprint events, Park Ye-bin (19, Sangju City Office), who won double gold (team sprint and keirin) at the 2025 Track Asian Junior Championships, and Jeong Seo-yul (27, Busan Facilities Public Corporation), known for her extensive competitive experience, drew attention with their stable performances.

In men’s middle- and long-distance events, Hong Yeong-taek (22, Gumi University) on the track and Kang Yun-min (21, Korea National Sport University) on the road consistently accumulated selection points amid close competition with Gi Jon (CEO) athletes. In women’s road cycling, veteran Lee Ju-mi (37, Korea Sports Promotion Foundation), a double medalist (individual pursuit and team pursuit) at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, made a notable return by showcasing her seasoned race management skills.

The system for injury prevention and safety management for athletes has also been significantly strengthened. The Medical Science Committee, newly established after Lee Sang-hyeon (Chairman) took office in 2025, deployed medical staff comprehensively at the evaluation meet site to prepare for sudden injuries and provide rehabilitation consultations.

Committee member Kim Kyung-ho (Guri Samsung Jeong Hyeong-oe-gwa (Rep.) Chief Director), a certified sports medicine specialist responsible for on-site medical support, provided tailored treatment for injured and recovering athletes while also participating as the 11th donor in the federation’s relay donation campaign. Director Kim stated, “We will continue to provide medical support and engage in charitable activities so that athletes can focus on training in a safe environment and injured athletes can make a swift return.”

Lee Sang-hyun, President of the Korea Cycling Federation, emphasized, “This evaluation meet is a new starting point toward the 2028 LA Olympics. We will strengthen the medical science support system so that athletes can showcase their skills without worry about injuries, while also discovering promising next-generation talents and enhancing our competitive strength to elevate the international competitiveness of Korean cycling.”

Meanwhile, the final roster for the 2027 national cycling team will be determined after a comprehensive review by the federation’s Performance Enhancement Committee in November.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original