Kim Bo-reum won the silver medal in the mass start at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. No cut news
Kim Bo-reum (32), a long-distance skater in Korean speed skating, announced his retirement.
Kim Bo-reum said on his social networking service (SNS) on the 30th, “I first started skating at the age of 11 and spent most of my life standing on the ice as a national representative from 2010 to 2024. I decided to end my career as a player this year and retire.” I am leaving the ice that I have been on for over 20 years.
Kim Bo-reum started short track racing in the fifth grade of elementary school and switched to speed skating while attending Jeonghwa Girls’ High School. She emerged as a long-distance star by winning a silver medal in the women’s 3,000m at the 2011 Astana-Almaty Winter Asian Games held in Kazakhstan.
After placing 13th in the 3000m at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, Kim Bo-reum focused on mass starts. Kim Bo-reum, who was ranked No. 1 in the world in this event in the 2017-18 season, won a silver medal at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and climbed to the podium on the best stage.
Regarding his active life, Kim Bo-reum said, “Skating has been my entire life since the day I first set foot on the ice as a child. I have not stopped following my dream. Along the way, I have been able to meet valuable stages and precious moments such as the Olympics, Asian Games, and World Championships.” He continued, “My career as a player ends here, but my heart for skating still remains in me.”
Noh Seon-young (left) and Kim Bo-reum during the women’s team pursuit at the PyeongChang Olympics. No cut news
In particular, Kim Bo-reum suffered greatly due to the so-called ‘bullying driving’ controversy during the Pyeongchang Olympics. Korea National Sport University, Gangwon Provincial Office, and national team senior Noh Seon-young (36) and junior Park Ji-woo (27, Gangwon Provincial Office) went out to overtake the team, but only Noh Seon-yeong fell behind. As a result, the situation escalated, with over 600,000 people participating in a national petition to the Blue House requesting that Kim Bo-reum and Park Ji-woo be stripped of their national team qualifications.
Kim Bo-reum bowed loudly to the ice and wailed loudly after winning the mass start silver medal despite being in so much pain that she could barely eat or drink for several days. Afterwards, in 2022, the court partially ruled in favor of the plaintiff, saying, “The defendant must pay 3 million won to the plaintiff,” in a lawsuit filed by Kim Bo-reum for damages filed by Seon-yeong Noh, who lived with her at Hansports University, Gangwon Provincial Office, and the national team, for constant harassment. It was revealed that the bullying drive was also unintentional through a specific audit by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
After the ruling, Kim Bo-reum finished her three Olympics by finishing fifth in the mass start at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Kim Bo-reum expressed his thoughts, saying, “If I am remembered as a player who never gave up despite many difficulties and frustrations, that is enough.”
He then said, “I will move forward on my path without wavering in a new place with the mindset and attitude I learned through exercise,” and added, “I am sincerely grateful to everyone who silently supported and loved me so that I could come this far.”
