Thrilling Comeback by 'Master of In-Cos': Men's Relay Team Captures Gold

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At the first stop of the Short Track World Tour, the South Korean men's relay team clinched the top spot with a thrilling comeback. Lee Jung-min, known as the "master of the in-course," dramatically turned the tables just moments before the finish line.

Reporter Ha Seong-nyong has the details.

[Reporter]

With men's ace Lim Jong-eon falling and injuring his hip in the 1,000-meter final, the national team substituted 20-year-old newcomer Lee Gyu-ho into the relay final in his place.

Despite the sudden lineup change, the team remained unshaken.

Lurking in the lower ranks throughout much of the race, Lee Gyu-ho sliced through the in-course with four laps remaining to overtake China and move into second, signaling the start of the comeback.

Though a significant gap separated them from the leader, Canada, they refused to give up.

With two laps to go, final skater Lee Jung-min unleashed explosive speed to narrow the margin. Then, executing a masterclass in-course maneuver around the final corner just before the finish line, he completed a thrilling come-from-behind victory.

Lee Jung-min earned the nickname "master of the in-course" back at the February Milan Olympics relay, where he played a pivotal role in securing a silver medal with a miraculous in-course overtake. This time, he delivered another breathtaking chase to lead the men's team to their first gold medal of the season.

[Lee Jung-min / Short Track National Team Member: This is our first gold medal of the season. I am so happy we won, all thanks to every teammate skating their absolute hardest.]

Earlier in the mixed relay, Lee Jung-min also stepped up as the final skater, vaulting the team from third to second to claim a silver medal, bringing his tally to two medals captured in a single day.

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Choi Min-jeong, who has announced that this will be her final season as a national team member, added a bronze in the women's 1,500 meters. She wrapped up the first event with a total of four medals, including a gold in the 1,000 meters and two silver medals in the relays.

Video by Park Gi-deok
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.