Short Track Training

[Anchor Lead]

Ahead of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in February, Korea's short track skating team is training hard. The men's team, which hasn't been at its best in recent years, is also determined to perform well in Pyeongchang.

[Pkg]

At 6 am, before the morning fog has cleared, the national short track speed skating team has already begun its day. Athletes warm up and immediately begin weight training to boost physical strength. They circle the track 200 times a day, but they doggedly endure the grueling training, with hopes for the Pyeongchang games. The women's short track skating team with ace members Sim Seok-hee and Choi Min-jeong is among the world best and aims to sweep medals in all events. They focus training on their starting spurt, which is considered a weakness. The women's team is also seeking their first ever gold medal in the 500 meter race which has not been their strong suit.

[Soundbite] Choi Min-jeong(Nat’l Short-track Skating Team) : "I want to improve on my weaker areas last year for the 500m event. I feel I still lag behind in physical strength and my starts."

Meanwhile the men's team, which returned from the 2014 Sochi Olympics in Russia without a single medal in their worst performance ever, has geared up for change with a generational shift in the team's makeup. Up and coming Seo Yi-ra who won the world championships in March is among the new younger athletes. The revamped men's team is determined to secure a surprising result in Pyeongchang.

[Soundbite] Seo Yi-ra(Nat’l Short-track Skating Team) : "It's my first Olympics. Rather than being nervous, I want to be more ambitious."

After concluding physical training, the short track athletes are off to Calgary, Canada this Sunday to begin practice in earnest to shorten their race times.