“Hey, let’s go, let’s go, nice!”
Cheers erupted as the stones, held by their yellow handles and flicked at the house (circular target), knocked out the opposing stones. Students with brooms (curling brooms) ran back and forth across the sheet (playing surface) and high-fived each other in excitement.
After the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Gangneung Curling Center, a popular curling experience center, will close on the 25th and undergo a major overhaul.
In preparation for the Gangneung Winter Youth Olympic Games next January, the center will begin ice-making work, including reducing the number of sheets from five to four to meet International Olympic Committee (IOC) regulations.
The curling center will undergo a final inspection by Jan. 17 and the Korean youth national team will attempt to win the gold medal that TEAM KIM failed to achieve at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics five years ago.
“We will win gold in Gangneung”
Competing in the four-man mixed curling (two men and two women), the four members of Team UISUNG (UISUNG High School sophomores Kim Dae-hyun and Kwon Jun-yi, and UISUNG Girls High School freshmen Lee So-won and Jang Yoo-bin) are in the final month of training to continue the excitement of ‘Again in Pyeongchang’. 카지노사이트777
Jang Yubin and Lee So-won, who traveled from Uisung to Gangneung as soon as they finished their final exams on December 12, were inspired to become curlers after watching Team Kim’s performance at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
Despite juggling their studies and sports, Team Uisung went undefeated at the national trials to qualify.
“I’m nervous about the Olympic Games, but I’ll do my best to showcase my skills,” said Jang Yubin.
My seniors won a precious silver medal in Gangneung, so I hope to win a gold medal at the same rink this time.”
The team is no stranger to the Gangneung Curling Center, having competed in several domestic tournaments, but one of the key factors that will determine their performance on the day is the ice quality.
Unlike ice skating and sliding, curling is highly dependent on the temperature and friction of the ice.
It is also essential to create ice particles (pebbles) on the surface.
Therefore, the organizing committee will invite ice makers from abroad to curling centers to meet the standards of the Adult Olympic Games.
“It’s a burden because it’s a global competition, but I’m looking forward to competing with athletes from other countries,” said Lee So-won, who picked Canada and Japan as gold medal contenders.
“I hope it will be an opportunity to let people know what curling is all about.”
■Creating an optimal environment with Pyeongchang know-how
Although the Winter Youth Olympic Games will be the first of its kind in Asia, the organizers are drawing on the experience and know-how gained during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
At the Gangneung Ice Hockey Center, ice makers are practicing converting the hockey rink from the Olympic standard of 5-on-5 to a 3-on-3 arena, which is unique to the Winter Youth Olympic Games.
The 3-on-3 arena has different dimensions, using only half of the existing ice, so the lines have to be drawn on top of the existing 4-centimeter-thick ice by 2 centimeters.
“We have to play 3-on-3 games first and then 5-on-5 games, so we are practicing the transition from thick ice to thin ice in 16 hours,” said Jung Myung-soo, head ice maker at the Winter Youth Olympic Games.
This is the first time this has been done in Korea, so we have to practice it many times.”
Gangneung’s OVAL, which will be used for speed skating, including the opening ceremony, will begin laying ice along the speed skating track from January 2 to 12 next year.
OVAL, which has been used as a movie set since the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, was approved by the International Olympic Committee in March this year after completing de-icing tests.
“Athletes who ran on the actual track evaluated it as superior to the stadium at Taereung Athletes’ Village,” said Lee Jun-gu, manager of the ice venue team at the IOC.
