Choi Min-jeong (Korean: 최민정; born 9 September 1998) is a South Korean short track speed skater. She is a three-time Olympic Champion (2018, 2022), a four-time World Champion (2015, 2016, 2018, 2022), Four Continents Champion (2020), and the current world record holder for 1500m. Along with Chun Lee-kyung and Jin Sun-yu, Choi is widely regarded as one of the best female Korean short track speed skaters of all time.
During the 2014–15 season at the senior level, Choi won her first World Cup gold medal ahead of Arianna Fontana and Shim Suk-hee in Montréal. At just 16 years old, she took her first World title at the 2015 World Championships in Moscow after winning gold in 1000m and 3000m. A year later, she successfully defended her title in Seoul.[1] During the 2016–17 season, Choi set a new world record time of 2:14:354 in 1500m in Salt Lake City.
In 2018, at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Choi became a two-time Olympic Champion after winning gold in the 1500m and 3000m relay. She set and currently holds the Olympic record in the 500m after breaking the previous Olympic record set by Elise Christie by 0.45 seconds.[2] Choi was one of the big favourites heading to the A final, but she was penalized for interference having finished second.[3] Choi went on to win the 1500m gold and led her team to the 3000m relay gold by more than eight seconds.[1] She crashed and finished fourth after colliding with Shim Suk-hee in the 1000m finals.
Choi won her third overall World title at the 2018 World Championships, collecting 110 points overall after winning gold in the 500m, 1500m, and 3000m Superfinal.[4]
During the 2021–22 season, she suffered knee and ankle injuries in separate collisions during the October World Cup opener in Beijing.[7] She was unable to compete in at the following World Cup event in Nagoya due to her injuries.[8] Choi also had to deal with off-ice issues when the leaked text messages from her longtime teammate Shim implied that Shim tripped her on purpose during the match.[9]
Choi was crowned the world short track speed skating champion at the 2022 World Championships after winning gold in the 1000m, 1500m, and 3000m Superfinals. This is her first world title in four years (vice world champion in 2019, world championships cancelled in 2020, withdrew in 2021) and her fourth overall world title.[13] She also anchored Team Korea in the women's 3000m relay from the bronze medal position to gold in the final curve of the relay with an incredible move, finishing 0.034 seconds ahead of Team Canada.
Personal life
Choi took up skating as a hobby at the age of six and joined a local club to pursue skating further.[14][15] Her role model is Jin Sun-yu.[16] She is enrolled at Yonsei University.[17]
Philanthropy
On 7 March 2022, Choi donated 50 million won to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to help the victims of the massive wildfire that started in Uljin, Gyeongbuk, and has spread to Samcheok, Gangwon.[18]
Awards and nominations
Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination
^Jeong bit (6 March 2022). "김연아·최민정, 산불 피해복구 위해 기부…스포츠 스타들도 동참" [Kim Yu-na and Choi Min-jung donate for forest fire damage recovery... Sports stars also participate] (in Korean). Sports Chosun. Retrieved 6 March 2022 – via Naver.
^Park, Seung-hyun (19 September 2022). "오겜' 이정재, 국회서 국가브랜드 대상 받는다" ['Ogem' Lee Jung-jae receives the national brand grand prize at the National Assembly] (in Korean). AtStyle. Retrieved 19 September 2022 – via Naver.
