Sumire Kikuchi won the 8th place in the women's 1500m short track speed skating at the Beijing Olympics.
Kikuchi, who participated in the second consecutive Olympic Games, fell to the end of the race in the women's 1500m semi-final, but he proceeded to the ranking match due to relief measures because he was disturbed.
In the ranking match, Kikuchi broke out of the group on the second lap and took the lead, showing an aggressive race development that was one lap behind the following group.
Kikuchi, who ran away and finished in 1st place, finished in 8th place.
On the other hand, Kikuchi's older sister Yuki Kikuchi and Shione Kaminaga were eliminated in the quarterfinals.
"I've been specializing in 500 meters this season, and this is the first time I've skated 1500 meters in the world. I'm disappointed that I didn't have the physical strength at the end. There was a harvest that I could win if I practiced, "he said calmly.
Regarding the Olympics, which was his second consecutive appearance, he said, "There was a part of me that had definitely grown from the last time, but the world has risen to a higher level and I felt lack of ability." He said, "I think I can still go up. I hope I can rethink what I will do to win next and restart."
Yuki Kikuchi said with tears, "I'm most disappointed that she went into the field and couldn't make the best of her ability because she couldn't adjust with the ice."
Looking back on the Beijing Olympics, "After the Pyeongchang Games, I've been trying hard because I thought it would be worthless as an athlete if I didn't win a medal. I was able to do it. This experience has become valuable in my life, and I would like to continue to connect it in the future. "
The gold medal was Choi Min-jeong of South Korea, who won the tournament for the second time in a row, the silver medal was Arianna Fontana of Italy, and the bronze medal was Suzanne Schulting of the Netherlands.
In addition, Kazuki Yoshinaga, Shogo Miyata, Kota Kikuchi, and Katsunori Koike participated in the ranking match in the men's 5000m relay, where four players take turns and make 45 laps.
Japan showed a positive slide such as taking the lead in the middle of the race, but gradually lowered the ranking and finished in 3rd place out of 3 teams, finishing 8th.
Yoshinaga said with regret, "It was a race that I aggressively attacked, but there were some things I should reflect on, such as being overtaken by touch. Also, I want to grow for four years from here and win a medal next time." ..
Kikuchi said, "It was a good flow in the middle of the game, but I thought that I wasn't strong enough because I was separated from the players in front of me at the end of the game. I want to make use of it in the next four years." ..
Koike changed his mind, saying, "I can clearly see the difference in power. I want to train well for four years from today."
Miyata was enthusiastic, "I didn't get any results, but I'm proud to be here. I want to give back to the people who supported me by winning medals four years later."
The gold medal was Canada, the silver medal was South Korea, and the bronze medal was Italy.