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Team Korea WSTSSC 2019©International Skating Union (ISU) 1134933401

Team Korea at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2019©International Skating Union (ISU)

Often, Short Track Speed Skating is a fierce battle between nations. But in the Men’s field this season, it was an internal struggle between the Republic of Korea’s incredible pool of young skaters – culminating in an epic brawl at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Gun Woo Kim (KOR) Kyung Hwan Hong (KOR) June Seo Lee (KOR) WCSTSS KAZ 2018©International Skating Union (ISU)  1070341938

Gun Woo Kim (KOR), Kyung Hwan Hong (KOR) and June Seo Lee (KOR) at the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating (KAZ) 2018©International Skating Union (ISU)

Picking the stand-out Korean racer of the regular ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating year is almost impossible. All six of their athletes finished in the top-ten overall rankings, while the top four – Lim Hyo Jun, Kim Gun Woo, Park Ji Won and Hong Kyung Hwan – were all Korean.

Lim Hyo Jun (KOR) WSTSSC 2019©International Skating Union (ISU) 1134900983

Lim Hyo Jun (KOR) at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2019©International Skating Union (ISU) 

Twenty-one-year-old Kim was the explosive rookie: towards the end of the season in the 1500m, he was supreme. He ended the year ranked No.1 in the distance, and would have been strong favorite to win the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships gold but in the end he didn’t participate.

Park Ji Won (KOR) WCSTSS (GER) 2019©International Skating Union (ISU) 1127129512

Park Ji Won (KOR) at the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating (GER) 2019©International Skating Union (ISU)

Twenty-two-year-old Park was ranked No.1 overall in the 1000m, showing great consistency across the season in the distance, while Lim – the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic gold medalist in 1500m – had really impressed most in the 500m. The 22-year-old topped the rankings thanks to impressive victories in Turin and Dresden.

Lee June Seo (KOR) WCSTSS (KAZ) 2018©International Skating Union (ISU) 1070476492

Lee June Seo (KOR) at the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating (KAZ) 2018©International Skating Union (ISU)

Super-consistent Hong, 20, meanwhile, ended up ranked second in the 1000m and fifth in the 1500m, picking up a 1000m gold at Salt Lake City. And Lee June Seo, just 18, was rated third overall in the 1500m. Ranked 10th overall, but ending the World Cup season in style, was Hwang Dae Heon, 19.

Hwang Dae Heon (KOR) WSTSSC 2019©International Skating Union (ISU) 1134894527

Hwang Dae Heon (KOR) at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2019©International Skating Union (ISU)

Anyone would have struggled to pick a favorite for the World title. It was clearly going to be desperately close, and so it proved in Sofia.

The first race, the 1500m, set the tone for the entire weekend. On the final corner, Hwang, Lim and Lee were all in the mix. Hwang eventually crossed the line first but was deemed to have blocked Lim, who therefore was awarded gold. Lee picked up bronze.

Lim Hyo Jun (KOR) Samuel Girard (CAN) WSTSSC 2019©International Skating Union (ISU) 1134679919

Lim Hyo Jun (KOR) and Samuel Girard (CAN) at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2019©International Skating Union (ISU)

“There was a big fight on that last corner,” said Canada’s Samuel Girard, who managed to grasp silver amid the melee. “It’s really hard fighting against the Korean team because they’ve got such a deep team and so many great skaters. When you’re on a country together, you can work with your teammate to get you both on the podium.”

Hwang atoned for his disappointment later in the day. He picked up 500m gold, after tussling with China’s Wu Dajing in the final. “I’m very happy, because he is the best,” said Hwang about the rival who has been supreme over the distance for a while.

Hwang, therefore, took the leader’s red hat into day two, with teammate Lim in second place behind him. But further wrestling would tip the scales in the other direction.

Hwang Dae Heon (KOR) Wu Dajing (CHN) WSTSSC 2019©International Skating Union (ISU) 1134720022

Hwang Dae Heon (KOR) and Wu Dajing (CHN) at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2019©International Skating Union (ISU)

In the 1000m, the Korean duo were neck-and-neck coming around the last bend: Lim somehow overtook his compatriot around the outside to narrowly claim the gold. In the 3000m Superfinal, meanwhile, the pair literally scrapped it out. Just as in the 1500m, Hwang impeded his teammate while trying to make a high-speed pass, and the gold medal was Lim’s.

It meant Lim was crowned overall Champion by a huge points margin – although one that didn’t quite tell the story of how close Hwang came to winning every single race of the weekend.

Lim Hyo Jun (KOR) WSTSSC 2019©International Skating Union (ISU) 1134900972

Lim Hyo Jun (KOR) at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2019©International Skating Union (ISU)

Their rivalry was nothing personal, Lim said afterwards. “I came to the World Championships for the first time last year and finished fourth, so I am really happy to win this time,” he commented. “And it is great that my teammate got second place. On the ice we always try to win, to beat each other. But off it, we are friends.

“It was a big fight but he is like a younger brother to me. We have a great relationship, and no matter who wins, it makes me happy.”

Hwang Dae Heon (KOR) Lim Hyo Jun (KOR) Semen Elistratov (RUS) WSTSSC©International Skating Union (ISU) 1134941064

Hwang Dae Heon (KOR) Lim Hyo Jun (KOR) and Semen Elistratov (RUS) at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2019©International Skating Union (ISU)

Hwang added: “I am a little disappointed but I learned a lot from the penalties. Next time, I want to prepare better, and to win. But as a teammate, I am happy for him. We learn from each other. And now we have to go back to Korea and compete for the national selection.”

It left their opponents from elsewhere scratching their heads about how to beat the sport’s dominant force.

Shaolin Sandor Liu (HUN) WSTSSC 2019©International Skating Union (ISU) 1134688341

Shaolin Sandor Liu (HUN) at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2019©International Skating Union (ISU)

Shaolin Sandor Liu of Hungary could at least joke about it. “They are lucky, and they copy all my moves, so I’m not really happy with that,” he said with a laugh. “But really, they are always so good. They have so many quality skaters. It’s so hard to beat them.”

Park Ji Won (KOR) Hwang Dae Heon (KOR) Steven Dubois (CAN) WCSTSS (ITA) 2019©International Skating Union (ISU) 1128697076

Park Ji Won (KOR) Hwang Dae Heon (KOR) and Steven Dubois (CAN) at the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating (ITA) 2019©International Skating Union (ISU)

And as Canada’s Steven Dubois said recently, reflecting on the year: “They are so powerful. I was watching their trials and I think three out of their six racers for next season will be different. They have such a good racing pool.”

For the rest of the world, it’s a headache. But for Korea’s Short Track Speed Skating fans, it is party time – and the future looks brighter than ever.