'I want to feel the thrill': Kim Gil-li opens taps on key to turbocharged short track medal run

작성일 03-23

<div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/03/23/0000086046_001_20260323152712899.jpg" alt="" />Short track speed skater Kim Gil-li poses for a photo before an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo at Olympic Parktel in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on March 20. [LIM HYUN-DONG] </div> </div> Short track speed skater Kim Gil-li has won it all, so what keeps her going? The answer is obvious, at least to the 21-year-old: She rewatches her victories to remind herself of the dopamine high that comes with winning. "I want to feel the thrill of that day again, and that is what gets me back on my feet," Kim said. "As for the race I won, I’ve probably replayed it 500, no, 1,000 times.” Kim’s run shows no sign of slowing. After bagging two gold medals and one bronze at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in February, she went on to win two more golds at the International Skating Union Short Track World Championships in Canada on Sunday. Living up to her supercar-inspired nickname, “LamborGil-li,” she put on one overtaking show after another, surging past rivals the moment she shifted gears. The JoongAng Ilbo met Kim on Friday at Olympic Parktel in Songpa District, southern Seoul, to hear what keeps her going at full speed. <div class="ab_photo photo_center "> <div class="image"> <img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/03/23/0000086046_002_20260323152713059.jpg" alt="" />Kim Gil-li skates to a first-place finish during the final of the women's 1,500-meter race at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Montreal on March 15. [AP/YONHAP] </div> </div> Q. In the women’s 1,000 meters at the World Championships, you were skating at the very back before passing on the outside and won by 0.009 seconds with a lunge at the finish. What was going through your mind in that race? A. I felt it in the semifinal, when I raced Xandra Velzeboer of the Netherlands. I thought, “I can pass her in the next race.” That gave me the confidence to race aggressively in the final. I was worried because I had dropped back farther than I expected midway through the race, but with half a lap left, I suddenly picked up a lot of speed. I thought, “Let’s give it a shot,” and tried overtaking on the outside, and the speed held all the way through. To be honest, after lunging at the line, I thought I was a little late. I looked at the scoreboard thinking, “Maybe I got second by a little,” but my name was at the top. Usually, when it comes down to a lunge at the line, you have to wait for the photo finish, so I was happy to see my time come up right away. In the women’s 1,500 meters, you were in fifth place before making your move on the outside and surging to the front. How did you pull off that win? After the 1,000 meters, my condition improved. It felt like I still had speed and stamina left. So when I overtook on the outside, I was carrying more speed than I expected, and I just kept going. Honestly, I can usually feel the speed building even while I’m preparing for an outside overtake. This time, too, I was deciding between going around the outside or diving inside, and I chose the outside. <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/03/23/0000086046_003_20260323152713109.jpg" alt="" />Short track speed skater Kim Gil-li poses for a photo before an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo at Olympic Parktel in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on March 20. [LIM HYUN-DONG] </div> </div> Choi Min-jeong has announced her retirement from the Olympics. What is one thing you would like to emulate from her? More than anything, I really want to be able to pull off overtakes on the outside like her. Who feels like the toughest opponent on the international stage right now? Right now, I think Velzeboer is the trickiest opponent. She is extremely fast, and she skates a racing line that is different from the one most women follow. She is also very good at making inside passes. Looking back on such a grueling season, how do you feel? At first, I was worried because I was not in great condition. As the season went on, I could feel my form improving, and fortunately, the results seemed to follow. I feel relieved because I think I finished the season well and without regrets. In 2026, you are now widely recognized as a world-class athlete. How does that feel? When they introduce me at the arena as an Olympic gold medalist, it still feels surreal. It was a goal I had wanted to achieve since I was little, so I still have not fully adjusted to being called that. <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/03/23/0000086046_004_20260323152713269.jpg" alt="" />Kim Gil-li, left, toasts at a luncheon honoring the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympians at the State Guest House of the Blue House in central Seoul on March 5. [JOINT PRESS CORPS] </div> </div> Do you think you have reached the level you were aiming for? What do you feel still needs improvement? I think I have more or less figured out my own way of managing races, but at the same time, it feels like I am only just getting started. I want to improve in the 500 meters, and I want to maximize my strengths. The key is connecting my start to my acceleration, and I want to get even better at diving inside and controlling the race from the front. You recently appeared on JTBC’s reality cooking television program "Please Take Care of My Refrigerator" (2014-), gave a toast at a luncheon at the Blue House and filmed a dance challenge with K-pop boy band Cortis. What were those experiences like? It felt surreal, like I had stepped into the TV. Kim Poong’s dish was delicious, so it was hard to choose a winner. The sauce was really good. But in terms of overall completion, I thought chef Park Eun-young had a slight edge. I was so nervous when I gave the toast at the Blue House. It is not the kind of occasion you get very often. It was an honor. Interviews are embarrassing, too, but I try to enjoy them because I think, “When am I ever going to experience this again?” The most memorable part was meeting Cortis. A lot of young people really like the band these days. I listen to its songs a lot, and I can follow the dances a little. I heard snowboarder Choi Ga-on kept avoiding it, maybe because she was shy. I talked a lot and had fun filming it. What interests do you have outside short track? I am very interested in fashion and beauty. I try to find styles that suit me and wear them. Filming the Chanel ad was my first time doing something like that, so it was a lot of fun. <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/03/23/0000086046_005_20260323152713378.jpg" alt="" />Short track speed skater Kim Gil-li, center, takes part in a social media dance challenge with boy band Cortis. [SCREEN CAPTURE] </div> </div> You have finished the World Championships. What is next? I want to go traveling somewhere soon, but I have things on my schedule here and there, so I have not made any plans yet. I would like to go somewhere abroad, but nearby. After going to Italy and Canada for competitions, I do not think I can take a long flight for a while. During the World Championships, you also followed the World Baseball Classic (WBC), and you are known as a fan of the Kia Tigers and Kim Do-yeong. You are also set to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Tigers home game again this year. How do you feel about that? The WBC games were on while I was in Canada, and the time difference worked out well. Before that, when the games were in Tokyo, I watched them as I adjusted to the time difference. This time, I want to throw a good first pitch. I want to go watch baseball games, too, so I want the season to start soon. You nearly ended up learning figure skating when you were 7 years old, but instead, you took a short track class and got your start that way. How do you look back on that turning point? I joke about it sometimes: "If I had done figure skating and all those jumps, maybe I would be taller than I am now." From the moment I started short track, watching the skaters glide around the track made me think, “I want to skate like that too.” I never really thought about figure skating. I was not afraid when I moved from juniors to seniors in short track. If anything, the older skaters fascinated me, and I worked hard chasing after them because I wanted to skate behind them. <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/03/23/0000086046_006_20260323152713422.jpg" alt="" />Short track national team member Kim Gil-li throws the ceremonial first pitch before a KBO game between the NC Dinos and Kia Tigers at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on March 23, 2025. [YONHAP] </div> </div> Do you consider yourself a natural talent or a hard worker? Talent matters too, of course, but I think hard work matters more. It is a sport you cannot do without effort. Every time I cross the finish line, I feel that tiny margin comes down to effort in the end. If I had to rank what I am most confident in among skill, stamina and mentality, stamina is first and skill is second. I have not really thought much about mentality. How much do you think you have grown? I think I am stronger than I used to be. My race strategy is also better than before. Two years ago, you said your goal was to win medals at the Asian Games, the Olympics and the World Championships. You have now done all of that. What is your next goal? I set goals every season. I have not really thought about this year’s goal yet, but more than anything, I want to show my best at next year’s World Championships in Seoul. It is fun to set a goal and challenge myself to break through it. I enjoy skating, and once I achieve a goal, it becomes even more fun, which makes me want to keep going. You are often mentioned as the leading candidate to surpass Choi Min-jeong’s Korean Olympic record of seven medals. You already have three. How long do you want to keep competing? Rather than thinking about that, I think the medals and results keep coming because I focus on each event one at a time. Korea still does not have an Olympic medal in the mixed team relay. I will keep skating until I win a mixed team relay medal first. I love skating so much that I think I will do it as long as I can. Ultimately, what kind of athlete do you want to become? Through my races, I always want to give more people positive energy. Every time someone tells me I gave them strength, it makes me feel even prouder. <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/03/23/0000086046_007_20260323152713635.jpg" alt="" />Short track speed skater Kim Gil-li poses for a photo before an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo at Olympic Parktel in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on March 20. [LIM HYUN-DONG] </div> </div> This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

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'I want to feel the thrill': Kim Gil-li opens taps on key to turbocharged short track medal run

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