Speed skater Lee Seung-hoon sets national record in men's 10,000m

GANGNEUNG, South Korea, Feb. 15 (Yonhap) -- Speed skater Lee Seung-hoon, who captured gold in the men's 10,000 meter in the 2010 Winter Games, fell short of winning a medal on Thursday, finishing fourth in the same distance by setting a national record at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Lee clocked 12:55.54 in the race, faster than his personal record of 12:57.27 and season best of 13:09.26. It is also the new record for South Korea. Ted-Jan Bloemen of Canada captured gold with an Olympic record of 12:39.77, followed by Jorrit Bergsma of the Netherlands with 12:41.98. Nicola Tumolero of Italy won bronze with 12:54.32. The South Korean skater was only 1.22 seconds short of winning a medal. "Previously, I used to slow down at the 6,000m point. Therefore, I told myself that the race will begin after that point, and saved my full strength for the remaining 4,000m," Lee told Yonhap News Agency after the race. Lee also said it was the spectators that gave him the last boost. "I heard the similar roar in the Netherlands. But at that time, the cheer was not for me," Lee said. "Here, I could maintain my strength as the shout were for me." Lee captured a surprise gold in the 10,000m race in the 2010 Winter Games, along with silver in the 5,000m race. Some say luck also helped the skater grab gold in 2010, as Sven Kramer of the Netherlands, who posted the fastest time, was disqualified for a lane violation. On Thursday, Kramer finished the race at 13:01.02, falling behind Lee to stand at sixth place. "I'm okay as I still beat Sven Kramer," Lee told reporters. Lee continued to prove that it was not only luck, adding another silver in the team pursuit event at the Sochi Winter Olympics. At the 2017 Asian Winter Games, Lee raked in gold medals in the 5,000m, 10,000m, mass start, and team pursuit events. Earlier this week, Lee finished the 5,000m race at 6:14.15, standing at 5th place among 22 contenders. Lee is one of few South Koreans that compete at the 10,000m races, which is normally dominated by European athletes. "If I did not run for the distance, there would be no other South Koreans in the race. Therefore, I could not give up and I competed with a sense of responsibility. This resulted in an unexpected result," Lee said. The skater will run for the mass start, and team pursuit for the remaining of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Although he also won a ticket for the 1,500m race, he yielded to Joo Hyung-jun to manage his physical condition. The skater said he is ready for the remaining events. "The record reflects my physical condition," Lee said. Lee is currently a strong gold candidate for the mass start, which will be held at the Winter Olympics for the first time. Running 16 laps around a 400m track, the mass start calls for strength optimized for long-distance competitions. Lee also has high expectations for the team pursuit, as his teammate Kim Min-seok won a surprise bronze in the men's 1,500m race earlier this week. colin@yna.co.kr (END)