South Korean Skater's Costly Celebration Shatters Gold Medal Dreams and Military Service Exemption
Costly celebration: South Korean skater's premature triumph leads to lost gold medal and denies military service exemption The significance of winning gold builds anticipation for athletes to relish their moment of glory, but this time it backfired
Claiming a gold medal is an enormous accomplishment, and consequently, athletes yearn to relish and bask in their triumphant moment in their respective sports. Regrettably, for South Korean skater Jung Cheol-won, his premature decision to celebrate by a mere fraction of a second resulted in the loss of both his and his teammates' opportunity to claim the highest position on the podium, along with exemption from compulsory military service.
Jung, a member of the South Korean men's speed skating team, competed in the 3,000m relay final at the Huangzhou Asian Games in China on Monday. In the thrilling race, the 27-year-old skater crossed the finish line slightly ahead of Taiwan's Huang Yu-Lin while completing the final leg.
Believing he had secured the gold medal, Jung confidently raised his hands in triumph, neglecting to push for the finish line.
Unbeknownst to Jung, Huang strategically extended his lengthy left leg, narrowly edging out Jung to claim first place.
Taiwan claimed the gold medal, finishing with a time of 4:05.692. In a close race, South Korea secured second place with a time of 4:05.702, falling short of the gold by a mere 0.01 seconds. India secured third place with a time of 4:10.128. Huang expressed her disappointment initially but was overwhelmed with joy when the result flashed on the screen, revealing their victory by one hundredth of a second. Huang's reaction was described as a "miracle" by Reuters.
Jung expressed his regret for his final lap performance after the race. "I made a significant error," Jung admitted to Reuters. "I failed to approach the finish line at full speed and let my guard down prematurely. I sincerely apologize."
Jung prematurely celebrates after crossing the finish line in the men's final of the speed skating 3,000m relay race.
Wang Zhao/AFP/Getty Images
The outcome was even more unfavorable for Jung and his teammate, Choi In-ho, since failing to secure the gold medal meant that they would not receive an exemption from South Korea's mandatory military service.
In South Korea, military service is mandatory for men, and nearly all fit individuals are obligated to serve in the army for a period of 18 months before reaching the age of 28. However, there are exceptions for certain athletes, specifically those who achieve Olympic or gold medal success in the Asian Games.
Nevertheless, South Korean legislation permits men who are considered exceptional in sports, popular culture, art, or higher education to postpone their military duty until they turn 30. This provision implies that Choi has another chance to earn an exemption at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan.
