PYEONGCHANG, South Korea, Feb. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korean alpine skier Jung Dong-hyun said Tuesday he wants to achieve a top 10 finish in his third Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
Jung hasn't had much luck with the Winter Games. At the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, he wasn't able to complete his race due to a thigh injury. At the 2014 Sochi Games, Jung did finish his race in the giant slalom, but ranked 41st among 79 skiers.
"In Sochi, I competed with a question mark, but now I have some World Cup experience and know where I'm at," Jung said after his training at Yongpyong Alpine Centre in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, the Olympic venue for the technical events like slalom and giant slalom. "My goals is to reach the top 10."
Jung said he feels comfortable in PyeongChang compared to previous Olympics.
"I can feel that the Olympic Games are just around the corner now that I've started living at the athletes' village," he said. "But I don't feel pressure. I just want to enjoy it."
South Korean alpine skier Jung Dong-hyun poses for a photo at Yongpyong Alpine Centre in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, Feb. 6, 2018. (Yonhap)
Jung said he has been training with American skiers in New Zealand and other European countries to prepare for the Olympics.
"In alpine skiing, there isn't a big gap between skiers except those who are at the top level," he said. "Among these skiers, it's important to adjust to the course and I've trained myself to have better a understanding of the course."
Jung has had up-and-down seasons running up to the Olympics. He won the gold medal in the men's slalom at the Winter Asian Games in Sapporo, Japan, last year, but slumped at International Ski Federation (FIS) World Cups. The 29-year-old said he recently changed his gears and that could have had an impact on his performance.
South Korea's best performance in an Olympic alpine skiing event came in 1998, when Hur Seung-Wook finished 21st in the slalom. Jung said he won't think about numbers like that but will just concentrate on his own goal.
"Because of the PyeongChang Winter Games, we received lots of support, but we don't know what's going to happen after the Olympics," he said. "We could see a reduced budget. It's important to get good results here."
kdon@yna.co.kr
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