Hwang Dae-heon (Gangwon-do), who was at the center of controversy for shoving teammate Park Ji-won (Seoul Metropolitan Government) three times at the Short Track World Championships, remained tight-lipped.
Park Ji-won, who arrived with him, was wearing a cast on her neck and arm.
The South Korean short track team, including Hwang Dae-heon and Park Ji-won, returned home from the 2024 International Ice Skating Union (ISU) Short Track World Championships in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on Monday through Incheon International Airport.
Earlier in the day, Hwang Dae-heon collided with teammate Park Ji-won, who was leading the 1,500-meter final of the event, while making an in-course pass. The collision sent Park Ji-won flying and dropping to last place, while Hwang finished first but was penalized with an overtaking penalty that cost him a medal.
Hwang's "team kill" allegations didn't stop there. The next day, in the 1,000-meter final, Park Ji-won tried to overtake the leader, Hwang Dae-heon, but the latter was seen pushing Park Ji-won with his hand as he tried to regain the lead. This caused Park to fall again and hit the fence hard.
Park Ji-won also failed to win a medal at the first ISU World Cup event in October last year after Hwang Dae-heon pushed her from behind.
The two-time Crystal Globe winner had high hopes for the 24-25 season, as the automatic qualification for the national team was at stake. However, due to the unfortunate incident, Park will have to wait until April for the national team 스포츠토토 selection.
Surrounded by reporters at the airport that day, Hwang Dae-heon looked stoic and denied any "intentionality.
"We were competing against each other," he said of the collision, adding, "There are enough variables in a match."
Regarding the foul against Park Ji-won, he said, "It was never intentional, so I hope you don't misunderstand. It happened while competing," he said. "I would like to apologize for the bad result," he added.
Park Ji-won, who arrived with Hwang, was interviewed separately by Hwang Dae-heon.
Wearing a neck brace and a cast on her left arm, Park Ji-won said, "My neck and head were hit hard, and I'm still suffering from nerve pain."
Asked whether Hwang apologized, she said, "I don't have anything to say about that."