Ex-Dutch Olympic champion to coach S. Korean speed skating team

All News 21:20 April 26, 2017

SEOUL, April 26 (Yonhap) -- Former Dutch Olympic speed skating champion Bob de Jong will coach the South Korean national team for next year's Winter Olympics, the sport's national federation said Wednesday.

The Korea Skating Union (KSU) said de Jong, 40, will serve as an assistant coach on the national speed skating team for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the first Winter Games to be held in South Korea.

In this EPA file photo taken on Nov. 22, 2014, Bob de Jong of the Netherlands reacts after winning the men's 10,000m at the International Skating Union World Cup Speed Skating at Taereung International Ice Rink in Seoul. De Jong has been named an assistant coach for the South Korean national speed skating team. (Yonhap)

The ex-long distance specialist brings an impressive resume, with four Olympic medals, including the 10,000m gold in 2006, and seven world titles in the 5,000m and 10,000m.

De Jong competed at five Olympic Games, starting in Nagano in 1998. After winning bronze in the 10,000m at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, de Jong and silver medalist Ivan Skobrev famously hoisted the South Korean champion Lee Seung-hoon on the podium.

De Jong won the 10,000m bronze at the 2014 Sochi Games at age 37, becoming the oldest male speed skater to win an Olympic medal in 86 years and beating Lee by 4.49 seconds for third place.

He will now be coaching Lee, who is gearing up for his third Olympics and has been focusing on mass start and team pursuit in favor of individual races.

The KSU said de Jong is expected to arrive in South Korea in May and will be with the national team through the end of the 2018 Olympics. It added it will count on de Jong to help South Korea improve in long distance events.