(Olympics) Ex-speed skating champion misses thrill of competition in 1st Olympics as broadcaster

By Yoo Jee-ho

BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- Beijing 2022 is the first Winter Olympics in 20 years being held without South Korean speed skater Lee Sang-hwa, a two-time gold medalist in the women's 500m who retired after winning silver in 2018.

In the Chinese capital as a television commentator, Lee said Friday her view from the broadcasting stands couldn't have been more awkward.

"I felt a little disappointed that I won't be skating in the Olympics this time," Lee told reporters at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing. She came to the rink with the rest of her crew to watch South Korean skaters' training session and to do some rehearsal. "(Being here) took me back in time. It's a shame that I won't get to take the ice here."

Lee made her Olympic debut in Torino, Italy, in 2006 as a raw teenager. But it was in Vancouver four years later that Lee had her breakthrough moment, with a gold medal in the 500m. She repeated as the champion in Sochi in 2014. Then skating on home ice in PyeongChang in 2018, Lee claimed silver in her Olympic swan song.

The well-spoken one is now trying to be as smooth on air as she had been on the ice. Lee said she feels she's improving with each passing dry run, with her biggest challenge being knowing when to stop talking.

Many of Lee's former Olympic teammates will be competing in Beijing. Lee said she has tried to keep her distance from them, so as not to distract them during their preparation, but she did reach out to Kim Min-sun, a former Winter Youth Olympic champion in the 500m once anointed as the next Lee Sang-hwa.

While Kim, 22, hasn't quite lived up to such lofty expectations, Lee said Kim should embrace the attention.

"She has been compared to me because people think she's going to be great someday," Lee said. "But I do hope that she will just be known as Kim Min-sun, rather than the next Lee Sang-hwa. I hope she can accomplish more in her career than I did."

Lee said she was proud of Kim and other South Korean skaters just for qualifying for the Olympics. Having just a small crowd in the stands due to the COVID-19 pandemic may prove to be beneficial, too, Lee added.

"It's great to hear the roar of the crowd but when it's quieter, it's much easier to concentrate," Lee said. "Skaters who are feeling a lot of pressure should find it easier to focus in this environment.

"The Olympic Games are always difficult to predict, but I think they are all ready to compete on this stage," Lee added. "I know they must be nervous, but I hope they can execute what they've been practicing and have memorable races here."

Lee recalled that she had trouble handling the weight of expectations during PyeongChang 2018, with the expectant home fans hoping for a rare three-peat by Lee.

Lee grabbed silver medal behind her rival and friend from Japan, Nao Kodaira. In one of the most poignant moments of the 2018 Olympics, Lee and Kodaira circled the ice together in their medal celebration, with their hands clasped in a show of friendship and mutual respect.

Lee said she would like to meet Kodaira while in Beijing, but not until after all of her races are over because she didn't want to disrupt Kodaira's preparation.

Asked how she would feel watching Kodaira compete here, Lee said, "I think I am going to cry, because I know how hard she has worked to get to this point."

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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