Chun Lee-kyung

Chun Lee-kyung (Hangul: 전이경, Hanja: 全利卿; born January 6, 1976, in Okcheon, Chungcheongbuk-do) is a retired South Korean short track speed skater. She is a four-time Olympic Champion[1] and three-time Overall World Champion for 1995–1997. She was a dominant force in International Short Track Speed Skating during the mid-1990s.

Chun Lee-kyung
Personal information
Born (1976-01-06) January 6, 1976
Height1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)
Weight58 kg (128 lb; 9.1 st)
Sport
Country South Korea
SportSpeed skating
Retired1998
World championship wins1995 Overall
1996 Overall
1997 Overall
Medal record
Women's short-track speed skating
Representing  South Korea
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 4 0 1
World Championships 9 11 3
World Team Championships 4 2 0
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1998 Nagano 1000 m
Gold medal – first place 1998 Nagano 3000 m relay
Gold medal – first place 1994 Lillehammer 1000 m
Gold medal – first place 1994 Lillehammer 3000 m relay
Bronze medal – third place 1998 Nagano 500 m
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1995 Gjøvik 1500 m
Gold medal – first place 1995 Gjøvik 3000 m
Gold medal – first place 1995 Gjøvik Overall
Gold medal – first place 1996 The Hague 1500 m
Gold medal – first place 1996 The Hague Overall
Gold medal – first place 1997 Nagano 1500 m
Gold medal – first place 1997 Nagano 3000 m
Gold medal – first place 1997 Nagano Overall
Gold medal – first place 1998 Vienna 3000 m
Silver medal – second place 1993 Beijing 1500 m
Silver medal – second place 1993 Beijing 3000 m
Silver medal – second place 1993 Beijing Overall
Silver medal – second place 1995 Gjovik 1000 m
Silver medal – second place 1995 Gjovik 3000 m relay
Silver medal – second place 1996 The Hague 1000 m
Silver medal – second place 1996 The Hague 3000 m
Silver medal – second place 1997 Nagano 3000 m relay
Silver medal – second place 1998 Vienna 1000 m
Silver medal – second place 1998 Vienna Overall
Silver medal – second place 1998 Vienna 3000 m relay
Bronze medal – third place 1993 Beijing 3000 m relay
Bronze medal – third place 1994 Guildford 3000 m relay
Bronze medal – third place 1997 Nagano 1000 m
World Team Championships
Gold medal – first place 1992 Nobeyama Team
Gold medal – first place 1995 Zoetermeer Team
Gold medal – first place 1996 Lake Placid Team
Gold medal – first place 1997 Seoul Team
Silver medal – second place 1994 Cambridge Team
Silver medal – second place 1998 Bormio Team
Asian Winter Games
Gold medal – first place 1996 Harbin 1000 m
Silver medal – second place 1990 Sapporo 3000 m relay
Silver medal – second place 1996 Harbin 1500 m
Bronze medal – third place 1990 Sapporo 1000 m
Bronze medal – third place 1996 Harbin 3000 m
Chun Lee-kyung
Hangul
전이경
Hanja
全利卿
Revised RomanizationJeon Igyeong
McCune–ReischauerChŏn Rigyŏng

Chun took part in the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, at the age of 15, but failed to win much attention. In 1994, however, Chun won two gold medals at the Lillehammer Winter Olympic Games. She won the women's 1000 m final, defeating the reigning World Champion Nathalie Lambert and former World Champion Kim So-hee, and was part of the team that won the 3000 m relay in a world record time along with Kim.

Between 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics, Chun won the Overall World Championship three times in a row, in 1995, 1996 and 1997 (becoming the second person to have won three consecutive Overall World Championships). She shared the 1997 title though with Yang Yang (A), her most significant career rival. She also won the Overall World Cup title for 1997–1998 season.

In 1998, at the Nagano Winter Olympics, Chun successfully defended both of her Olympic titles, by defeating China's Yang Yang (A) and Yang Yang (S) in the 1000 m final after trailing for most of the race. Yang Yang (A) crossed the line together with Chun in what was ruled and reviewed as a photo finish, but was then disqualified for cross tracking Chun at the very end as Chun tried to pass on the inside (although the photo finish seemed to show Chun having defeated her for the gold regardless). She led the relay team to another Olympic victory with world record time, completing the first "double-double" in Olympic short track history. She also added a 5th Olympic medal, a surprising bronze in the 500 metres, her weakest event and which she had never won a World Championship medal in. She was advanced to the bronze after winning the B final, due to a major fall in the A final leading to the disqualification of Isabelle Charest, and the refusal to finish of Wang Chunlu. She became the first quadruple Olympic Champion in Short Track Speed Skating and the first one from Korea. One month later at the 1998 World Championships, her final major international meet, Chun won 4 medals including her 3rd title at 3000 metres, but was still narrowly denied a 4th consecutive Overall World Championship by Yang Yang (A) (the 2nd of Yang Yang (A)'s own 6 consecutive titles, after having tied Chun for the 97 title). The key event to the final overall result was the 1000 metres, where just as in Nagano Chun and Yang Yang (A) crossed in a virtual dead heat over the distance, but this time with Yang emerging the victor and getting the crucial 1st place points to the overall title with it. This provided the final chapter to the intense rivalry of the 2 all-time greats, as Chun would retire immediately after the meet.

In 2002, Chun was elected to the Athletes' Committee of the International Olympic Committee.[2]

References

  1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Chun Lee-kyung". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17.
  2. Grasso, John; Mallon, Bill; Heijmans, Jeroen (2015-05-14). Historical Dictionary of the Olympic Movement. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781442248601.
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