Pyeongchang Olympics to add 4 new events that Korea has strength

Pyeongchang Olympics to add 4 new events that Korea has strength. June. 09, 2015 07:22. uni@donga.com.

Last years` Sochi Winter Olympics awarded 98 gold medals. The 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics is expected to award more than 100 gold medals, the first time for a winter Olympics game to grant 100. The International Olympics Committee will announce Monday (local time) new events to debut in Pyeongchang.

According to AP and other media, the most promising candidates are speed skating mass start, coed curling, snow board "big air" and free style ski "big air." Each country`s League of Nations recommended these events, which needs final approval by the executive committee.

Adding mass start is good news for the Korean team. Different from other speed skating events that decide ranking based on time crossing the finishing line, mass start allows dozens of players start in whatever lane they want to and decides ranking based on the order they cross the finishing lines. Men have to run 35 times the 400 meter track and women 25 times.

Korea`s long-distance speed skater Lee Seung-hoon is the strongest gold medalist candidate. At the 2014-2015 International Skating Union where mass start was selected as an official event, Lee grabbed No. 1 ranking with 450 scores. Lee ranked first in the World Cup first, third and fifth events too.

Korea is also expected to gain medals in coed curling. While four players compose a team in normal curling, coed curling has one man and one woman play as team. Six stones have to be thrown for end, down two from existing curling events.