Ryu Seung-min, head of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC), speaks at a ceremony marking the end of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics for the Korean delegation at Korea House in Milan, Sunday (local time). Yonhap

MILAN — Not entirely satisfied with the country's performance at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics this month, Korean Olympic chief Ryu Seung-min pledged better support for his athletes for future competitions.

Ryu, president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC), touched upon the state of training environments and budget issues for Korean Olympians at the delegation's wrap-up press conference at Korea House in Milan on Sunday, the final day of the competition.

With Korea's two four-man bobsleigh teams sitting well outside medal contention in the last event for the country, Korea was expected to finish the Olympics with three gold medals, four silver medals and three bronze medals.

Korea exceeded both its gold medal total and the overall medal count from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, where it grabbed two golds, five silvers and two bronzes. Also, Korea won three medals in snowboard, including a gold by Choi Ga-on in the women's halfpipe, after only winning medals in short track and long track speed skating in Beijing.

Ryu described Korea's showing in northern Italy a partial success.

"Although we reached our target of three gold medals, I am always hungry for more," said Ryu, the 2004 Olympic men's singles table tennis champion. "Upon closer look, there were situations where we could have won gold medals but didn't. I believe we have to establish a better support system for our athletes. In sports such as biathlon and cross-country skiing, we sit far below international standards. I want to help athletes in as many sports as possible realize their dreams."

Ryu highlighted Choi's snowboard gold as an outlier, in that it was by an athlete from a country that has no inflatable airbag for training.

"She has had to travel around the world to train," Ryu said. "Even after we hosted the Winter Olympics in 2018 in PyeongChang, nothing really changed as far as support is concerned. Athletes in skiing and sliding sports in particular have faced difficulties. We have to provide the right combination of good facilities, sufficient budget and proper support to keep our athletes competitive. The KSOC will take the leading role."

Kim Na-mi, KSOC's secretary general who took care of athletes competing in snow events in Livigno, some 140 kilometers north of Milan, said she was proud of Korean snowboarders for bringing home medals despite their challenges.

Source: Korea Times News