S.Korea aims to reach top 10 in medal standings at Winter Olympic Games

South Korea set a goal of reaching top 10 in the medal standings at the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, reported South Korean Yonhap News Agency on Monday.

"We'll surely be among the top 10 sports powers again by winning more than three gold medals," Byun Tak, head of the South Korean squad to the Winter Olympic Games, was quoted as saying by Yonhap.

South Korea slid to 14th place in the Salt Lake City Olympiad in 2002 after securing sixth place in Lillehammer, Norway in 1994 and ninth in Nagano, Japan in 1998.

"We have great expectations for golds in short track speed skating, which has been our major event, and we also hope to pick up golds in the discipline of ski jumping," Byun said.

South Korean skater Ahn Hyun-soo, top ranked in the recent World Cup rankings, is expected to win at least two golds in his best event: the 1,500-meter race, as well as the 500-meter and 1,000-meter ones, said Yonhap.

South Korea is also pinning hopes on up-and-coming female skater Jin Sun-yu, 18, who swept four disciplines in the World Cup in November 2005 to win the championship in the overall rankings.

Well known for their agility and quick reactions, South Korean short track skaters might earn more golds in men's and women's relay events.

Yonhap's report also mentioned another male skater named Lee Kang-seok, saying his 500-meter record is 0.25 seconds behind the world record, 34.30 seconds.

The country's ski jumpers could also pick up a medal, Byun said.

The Turin Olympiad will begin on Feb. 11 with more than 5,000

athletes from 50 countries and areas competing for a total of 84 gold medals.

The South Korean squad, comprising over 80 athletes and officials, will leave for Turin early next month.

In addition, Byun emphasized that efforts are under way to host the 2014 Winter Olympiad.

"We have to be thoroughly prepared to host the 2014 Winter Olympics on our soil," he said. "We should double our effort to host the Games, and also boost the popularity of winter sports at home."

"The experience of failure in the past gave us a good lesson, and we have to try again to host the 2014 Winter Olympics."

The city of Pyeongchang, 182 kilometers east of Seoul, had offered its biding to host the 2014 Winter Olympics. It is the second time for the small town to offer the biding.

In 2003, Pyeongchang was defeated by Vancouver, Canada, in the biding to host the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Source: Xinhua