The performance of Korea’s skeleton star Jeong Seung-gi (Catholic Kwandong University) this season is unusual. He succeeded in winning medals in all three World Cup tournaments in North America, and announced that he had risen to the top of the Korean skeleton team by rising to No. 1 in the IBSF world rankings this season.
Jeong Seung-gi won a silver medal in the 1st and 2nd competitions of the BMW IBSF Skeleton World Cup series held since last November, and a bronze medal in the 3rd competition. His unique fast starting speed, coupled with his familiarity with the North American track he frequently competed in as a rookie, revealed that his performance this season was in full bloom.
There is consistency behind Seung-gi Jeong’s ability to hold the No. 1 spot in the middle of the season. This is because Jeong Seung-gi is the only player standing on the podium in all competitions this season. After a short break in Korea, Jeong Seung-gi will depart for Europe at the end of last year and start the 4th World Cup, which will resume on January 6th.
A silver medal by 0.01 second followed by a perfect podium
. The first World Cup held in Whistler, Canada on November 25 last year. This year, as Yun Seong-bin (Gangwon Provincial Office) declared a break for this season, the male skeleton team consisting of Jeong Seung-gi and Kim Ji-su (Gangwon Provincial Office) competed. In other countries, Axel Junk of Germany, who won a silver medal at the last Winter Olympics in Beijing, and veteran Marcus Wyatt of Great Britain stepped up.
From the first tournament, Jeong Seung-gi’s ‘warm-up’ was unusual. Jeong Seung-gi, who finished third in the first run with a time of 52 seconds and 87 and entered the medal table, increased his speed in the second run. Jeong Seung-gi, who increased his running speed with his unique fast track adaptability as a stepping stone, recorded 52 seconds and 58 seconds in the second run. Jeong Seung-gi, who recorded the highest ranking in his second period, recorded a combined time of 1 minute 45 seconds 45.
Unfortunately, however, Marcus Wyatt, who won the gold medal by gliding 0.01 second faster in total, rose to the top of the podium. It was a brief difference. However, Jeong Seung-gi won the silver medal in the first event of the season, beating Matt Weston in 3rd place by a wide margin of 0.66 seconds.
The second competition was held in Park City, USA. In the 2nd competition, Jeong Seung-gi staked his second medal of the season with silver. Jeong Seung-gi recorded a combined time of 1 minute 36 seconds 43 and took second place with a difference of 0.17 seconds from Germany’s Christopher Grotair. It was a fierce ranking battle, with only a second difference between 1st and 7th place.
In the 3rd tournament held in Lake Placid, USA on December 17, Jeong Seung-gi continued his run. Jeong Seung-gi recorded 54 seconds 11 in the first period and 54 seconds 29 in the second period, winning the bronze medal with a total of 1 minute 48 seconds 40. 0.24 seconds away from first place Matt Weston. Jeong Seung-gi achieved ‘all-podium’ in three North American World Cups with the medal record of this event.
Meanwhile, veteran Kim Ji-soo (Gangwon Provincial Office), who participated in the World Cup with Jeong Seung-gi, is also playing an active role this season. Kim Ji-soo ranked 11th in the first competition, but recorded increasingly better results, such as 5th in the 2nd competition and 7th in the 3rd competition, aiming for the ‘companion podium’ on the European tour.
Continuing a new record on the ‘Gobi Track’
Jung Seung-gi has confidence in achieving all-podiums on the North American track. Jeong Seung-gi used to pick North American tracks, especially the Whistler track, as the track he was most confident about. The experience he gained while participating in the North American Cup and Intercontinental Cup from his rookie season had an impact on his performance this season.토토사이트
In particular, the fact that he is ranked number 1 in the world rankings now, halfway through the season, is a factor that adds to Jeong Seung-gi’s confidence. Jeong Seung-gi has accumulated 620 IBSF world ranking points so far. He is one point clear of runner-up Christopher Grotair.
There is also good news for Jeong Seung-gi, who is having a ‘greatest season’. On the 5th, the news of Jeong Seung-gi’s recruiting for the Gangwon Provincial Office unemployment team was announced. The sweat of Jeong Seung-gi, who started as ‘the first elite skeleton player’, has come to fruition.
Jeong Seung-gi will start the World Cup, which resumes in Winterberg, Germany from the night of the 6th, Korean time. It is a track that will be a turning point for Jeong Seung-gi, who is spending the ‘best season ever’ from the beginning. Jeong Seung-gi rode the Winterberg track for the first and last time in the 2021-2022 season. At that time, the ranking was only 11th, but with experience, there is a good chance that it will show different results from last season.
On the other hand, Jeong Seung-gi said in an interview with Korea Bobsleigh Skeleton YouTube on the way to departure, “The performance in the Americas is good, so if the atmosphere continues, I think I can repay you with good grades in Europe.” Thank you to those who watch over me. I will work hard to repay your support.”