Short track stars Park Ji-won and Kim Gil-li win Crystal Glove

Park Ji-won expressed his sentiments after concluding the 5th competition of the 2023-2024 International Skating Union (ISU) Short Track World Cup. The ISU introduced the Crystal Glove trophy last season, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the short track's inception, and awarded it to the athlete leading the overall rankings. Last season, Park Ji-won clinched the title of the inaugural Crystal Glove winner with relative ease.

Park Ji-won clinched his fifth gold medal of the season, posting a remarkable time of 1 minute and 28.193 seconds in the 1,000-meter final held at the same venue on Monday. With this victory, Park Ji-won accumulated 1,071 ranking points, securing the top position overall in the men's division. He outpaced Dubois, who garnered 1,052 points, by a significant margin of 19 points. "I knew I had to secure the first position to claim the overall title. I wasn't very nervous. I was confident," remarked Park Ji-won, who achieved three out of his five gold medals this season in the 1,000-meter competition. "I am even happier now that I have successfully defended my title than when I first won the Crystal Gloves."

Kim Gil-li, also known as 'Lamborghili,' secured the Crystal Glove for the first time in the women's division. Kim earned her accolade by adding a silver medal in the women's 100-meter competition on the same day, boosting her total ranking points to 1211. This achievement allowed her to surpass second-place Kristen Santos-Griswold of the U.S., who accumulated 1,180 points, with a comfortable margin of 31. “It's amazing that achieving my dream of becoming number one in the world has come true,” Kim Gil-li stated, expressing joy. “My goal is to clinch a gold medal at the World Championships.”


Bo-Mi Im bom@donga.com