South Korea’s speed skating legend Lee Seung Hoon, who recently won a silver medal in the team event at the 2025 Harbin Winter Asian Games, has proven his dominance once again by clinching a gold medal at a World Cup event.
On Monday, Lee clocked 7 minutes 48.05 seconds in the men’s mass start at the fifth leg of the 2024-25 International Skating Union (ISU) World Cup, held at the Lodowa Arena in Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Poland.
Earning 60 sprint points, Lee outpaced Bart Hoolwerf of the Netherlands (7 minutes 48.50 seconds, 40 sprint points) and Andrea Giovannini of Italy (7 minutes 48.56 seconds, 21 sprint points) to claim the top spot.
Lee had not won a World Cup title since his mass start gold medal at the fourth leg of the 2017-18 season World Cup in Salt Lake City, USA, in December 2017. This long-awaited gold medal marks a significant achievement after seven years.
In early February, at the 2025 Harbin Winter Asian Games, Lee won silver in the men’s team pursuit, setting a new record for the most medals (9) won by a South Korean athlete in Winter Asian Games history. Now, his momentum has carried over to the World Cup.
In Monday’s race, Lee initially skated at the back of the pack, waiting for the right moment. Even with four laps remaining, he was still in 16th place.
However, with two laps remaining, he unleashed a burst of speed, surging to third place and joining the lead group in a matter of moments.
Competing against Sasaki Shomu (Japan) and Livio Wenger (Switzerland), Lee took the lead in the final curve of the last lap, widening the gap and crossing the finish line first.
Meanwhile, in the men’s 500m second race, another South Korean skater, Kim Jun Ho, finished sixth with 34.88 seconds.
Two-time Harbin Winter Asian Games champion Lee Na Hyun placed fourth in the women’s 500m second race, clocking 38.15 seconds. Kim Min Sun finished in sixth place with a time of 38.22 seconds.