South Korean short track speed skater Kim Gill-ri (22, Seongnam City Hall) said she competed with a single resolve: "Please don't fall." After crossing the finish line, she said she felt relieved to have raced without regrets.
Kim secured the bronze medal at the women's 1000m final of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics held at the Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, on February 16 (local time). She finished third with a time of 1:28.614, behind Sandra Velzeboer of the Netherlands and Courtney Sarault of Canada.
In the mixed zone after the race, Kim shed tears as she reflected on her difficult journey to the podium. "There have been so many collisions," she said. "I was able to push through thanks to all the support from so many people. I feel like I won a precious medal despite the challenging circumstances."
On February 10, Kim was involved in a collision during the mixed 2000m relay semifinal at the same venue when American skater Corinne Stoddard fell in front of her, giving Kim no chance to avoid the crash. Though she escaped serious injury, the Korean team failed to advance to the final and missed out on a medal. Kim broke down in tears after the race, feeling apologetic to her teammates.
Misfortune struck again in the women's 1000m semifinal earlier on February 16, when Hanne Desmet of Belgium committed a foul from behind that sent Kim crashing to the ice. She eventually advanced to the final after receiving an advance ruling, but the effects of the repeated collisions lingered.
Seemingly mindful of potential collisions, Kim stayed near the back of the pack through the middle of the final race, biding her time. In a dramatic finish featuring multiple lead changes, she secured the bronze medal.
"I was momentarily overjoyed when I took the lead, but Velzeboer was in excellent form," Kim said. "I focused on staying on my feet and holding my position."
When asked about her tears after clinching the bronze, Kim said, "I thought of my family." She had been composed throughout the interview but became emotional and paused for an extended moment when asked about teammate Choi Min-jeong (Seongnam City Hall), who was eliminated in the semifinal.
"I'm grateful that she encouraged me after my race, telling me I skated well," Kim said, her eyes welling up. "I'm very disappointed that she didn't win a medal."
Kim will compete alongside Choi in the women's 3000m relay final and the women's 1500m, her primary event, in pursuit of additional medals. "Today's race gave me confidence," Kim said. "If we skate the relay with more confidence, I believe we can achieve good results." She added, "The women's 1500m is an event where I really want to perform well. I'll just give it everything I have."