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| photo source=World Para ice hockey |
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| photo source=World Para ice hockey |
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The dream of Milan of Korea's para ice hockey, which wrote 'Pyeongchang Bronze Miracle', has been canceled.
South Korea's para ice hockey team was defeated 1-2 by difficult opponent Slovakia in the final qualifying round and final match of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Paralympics in Yesheim, Norway on the 11th (Korea time). It was a one-off match to win for the fifth consecutive Paralympic trip. However, he gave Slovakia the first goal just over a minute after the first period whistle, then gave up two goals and shook. Jang Dong-shin, a veteran of the 's gladiator', who took over the passes of the second period, Jung Seung-hwan, and Choi Si-woo, cheered by scoring a comeback goal. Since then, the Taeguk Warriors have continued their efforts to turn the tables until the end of the third period, but they have failed to achieve their goal due to Slovakia's defensive wall and Goli's good defense. As soon as the ending buzzer rang, Slovakia cheered hotly, and the Taegeuk Warriors bowed their heads.
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| photo source=World Para ice hockey |
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| photo source=World Para ice hockey |
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| photo source=World Para ice hockey |
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| photo source=World Para ice hockey |
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The Paralympic stage, where eight countries are eligible to participate, the U.S., Canada, the Czech Republic, China, Germany, and host Italy have been confirmed, and South Korea, Slovakia, Norway, Japan, Sweden, and Kazakhstan have competed fiercely for the remaining two tickets.
South Korea won its first showdown with Japan 2-1, won 4-2 against Sweden, and won 7-0 against Kazakhstan, saving the spark of hope with '3 wins', but losing 0-2 to Norway on the 7th was fatal. He lost to Slovakia in the final, recording 3 wins and 2 losses. Japan, which only lost to Korea, won 8-2 against Norway and 3-2 against Slovakia, and Slovakia, which lost only to Japan, won the last train ticket to Milan side by side.
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| photo courtesy of the Korea Sports Council for the Disabled |
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No way has become a reality. Para ice hockey is the flower of a recognized winter sport. South Korea's para ice hockey is a leading event and team event that has led to a miraculous victory in the barren land. It first started in the early 1960s at a sports club in Stockholm, Sweden, and was adopted as the first official event at the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Paralympics in Norway. It was called 'Ice Sledge Hockey', derived from a specially designed sled (sledge) to allow the puck to pass through. In 2016, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) named para ice hockey as its official name. Play with two sticks with metal picks used to give the sled momentum and blades for shooting, dribbling and passing. Six players from each team will play for 45 minutes, 15 minutes each in the third period. South Korea won the first bronze medal at the 2018 Pyeongchang Paralympics after winning the B-full IPC World Championship in 2008, winning the Winter World Cup in the 2009 Paralympic Games, winning the 2010 Vancouver Paralympic Qualifiers, and ranking second in 2012 and third in 2017 and 2019 in the IPC World Championships. He also continued his history of participating in the Paralympics for four consecutive times. He ranked 6th at the 2010 Vancouver Paralympics, 7th at the 2014 Sochi Paralympics, bronze at the 2018 PyeongChang Paralympics, and 4th at the 2023 Beijing Paralympics. Korea, which has world-class stars such as Jung Seung-hwan and is equipped with fiery fighting spirit, strong physical strength, and strong teamwork, has defeated Japan and established itself as an Asian representative since 2008.
Above all, para ice hockey is an event that has left a clear footprint in the history of sports for the disabled in Korea. The unaccompanied national anthem, which was sung by tapping sticks on the ice with former President Moon Jae In and his wife after beating powerhouses one after another to win a miraculous bronze medal at the PyeongChang Paralympics, is still talked about as a legend.
South Korea's para ice hockey, which was then, is on the path of decline. In Milan, neither Jung Seung-hwan nor Jang Dong-shin can be seen. The players have been doing their best at every moment, as always. Since the PyeongChang Paralympics, support and interest in para ice hockey have also decreased significantly, the association has suffered internal strife, and the number of training was also insufficient as the Gangneung Ice Center was closed last summer amid the all-time drought. Although he aspired to establish the 'Ice Link' type at Bandabi Gymnasium nationwide under construction as Pyeongchang Legacy, it also did not proceed properly due to budget problems. During that period, world-class aces have aged, and after the end of the Beijing Paralympics, the first generation, including former national team coach Han Min-soo, struggled alone to find dream trees and change generations, but there was never enough time to see the results. The world ranking, which was 4th in the world in 2022, has already dropped to 9th.
With the absence of team para ice hockey, the Milan Paralympic squad is likely to be the smallest ever. It is the first time that para ice hockey team has been missing from the Paralympics since the 2010 Vancouver Games. China, which has grown dramatically at the 2023 Beijing Paralympic Games, and Japan, which has continued to provide steady support since the Tokyo Paralympic Games, will go to Milan. The summit is harder to keep than to climb. Seven years after the miracle of Pyeongchang, it hurts.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
