By Yoo Jee-ho
GANGNEUNG, South Korea, Feb. 3 (Yonhap) -- British short track speed skating star Elise Christie has a budding rivalry with South Korean sensation Choi Min-jeong in the sport's sprint event, the 500 meters.
But Christie isn't just about cutthroat competition or about trying to beat others at all costs.
If she can't win a medal at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics here this month, then Christie sure hopes Choi will step up and please her home crowd.
"If I am not winning, I'd hope she will win," Christie told reporters Friday after her first training session at Gangneung Ice Arena, the venue for all short track races during the Feb. 9-25 Olympics.
"She works really hard. She's a really talented athlete. She's a really nice girl," Christie, 27, went on about the 19-year-old South Korean. "If I wasn't going to win, I'd want Min-jeong to do really well."
In this EPA photo taken on Nov. 18, 2017, Elise Christie of Britain (L) celebrates after winning the women's 500-meter gold medal over Choi Min-jeong of South Korea (R) at the the International Skating Union (ISU) World Cup Short Track Speed Skating at Mokdong Ice Rink in Seoul. (Yonhap)
Christie said she has developed a friendship with Choi through social media. And Christie has more than her share of South Korean fans, having skated well in the country in past international races.
In particular, Christie won two 1,000m gold medals in two days at the International Skating Union (ISU) World Cup at the same Gangneung Ice Arena in December 2016. Then, in November last year, at the season's final World Cup race in Seoul, Christie won the 500m title over Choi.
"It's nice here because I feel like everyone is so supportive," Christie said of South Korean fans. "They're animated. They're cheering. It makes it more fun for us racing. I have a warm feeling here. Everyone is really friendly. I think, if Korean skaters don't win, (the fans) always want me to win."
Christie suffered a right thigh injury in October, and went through some rough patches during her rehab. But the 2017 world overall champion said she's all healthy now.
"I had a few months not skating so well getting over the injury," she said. "But now I've come out of it and I am skating better than I was skating before the worlds last year. It's pretty exciting for me."
She said the ice at Gangneung Ice Arena was so fast that she felt a few skaters could come close to breaking world records. She also prefers the quieter Gangneung to more bustling Seoul because "it's easier to focus on the competition."
And as much as she wishes Choi her best, Christie hasn't lost sight of her goal at the Olympics.
"I want to come home with a gold medal. For me, that's the ultimate goal," she said. "I managed to be the world champion overall. I am good enough in all distances. So I think I have a good chance. For me, 500m and 1,000m will be the main focus. Hopefully in one of them, I'll come home with a gold medal."
In this file photo taken on March 13, 2016 Elise Christie of Britain (R) is congratulated by Choi Min-jeong of South Korea after winning the women's 1,000-meter gold medal at the International Skating Union (ISU) World Short Track Speed Skating Championships at Mokdong Ice Rink in Seoul. (Yonhap)
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