Kim Dong-Sung (Hangul: 김동성, Hanja: 金東聖, born 9 February 1980) is a South Korean former short track speed skater. He won a gold medal in 1000m race and silver medal in 5000m relay at the 1998 Winter Olympics. He has been a two-time Overall World Champion in 1997 and in 2002 and two-time Overall World Cup Champion (1999-2000, 2001-2002).
Early life
Kim Dong-sung was born in Seoul, the third of three children of Kim Tae-young and his wife Yoo Young-hee. Kim started skating and competing in long track when he was seven years old, but switched to short track two years later.
Career
Early career
In February 1996, Kim was first called up to the South Korean national team and made his senior debut at the Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China at the age of 16, where he won the gold medal in the men's 5000 metre relay together with Olympic champions Chae Ji-hoon and Song Jae-kun, and three medals in the individual events. In March 1996, Kim also made his first appearance at the World Championships in The Hague, where he won bronze as a member of the 5000 metre relay team.
1996–1997 season
World Junior Championships
In January 1997, Kim competed in the World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Championships held in Marquette, Michigan. In the tourney, Kim won all five events (overall, 500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m, 1500 m super final), easily dominating all other competitors including Rusty Smith, François-Louis Tremblay and Dan Weinstein every race. Kim set two world junior records at the championships. On January 11, he broke the 500 m world junior record, recording a time of 43.491 seconds. Next day, Kim would set another world junior record in the 1500 m super final, skating the 1500 m in 2:19.828.
World Championships
Two months after winning the overall world junior championship title, Kim competed in the World Championships in Nagano as a member of the South Korean senior national team. Kim then won his first overall world championship title clinching gold in the 1000 metres, 3000 metres and 5000 metre relay. Kim became the first short track speed skater to win the overall world championship titles both at junior and senior levels in the same year. A week after the World Championships in Nagano, Kim added another world championship gold medal at the World Short Track Speed Skating Team Championships in Seoul as a key member of the South Korean national squad.
1997–1998 season
Winter Olympics
Kim began to be hampered with knee problems after the 1997 World Championships, which caused him to miss most of the 1997–1998 season. In February 1998, a year after winning the overall world championship title, Kim competed in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano as a favorite. While he met disappointment in the 500 metres, he won the gold medal in the 1000 metres. After trailing Li Jiajun of China at the final corner of the last lap in the 1000 m final race, Kim stuck out his foot to get his blade to cross the line first, catching Li off-guard by 0.053 seconds. He also helped the Korean team to win the silver medal in the 5000 metre relay.
1998–1999 season
After the Nagano Olympics, Kim underwent his first arthroscopic surgery and was sidelined for the better half of a year. Kim came back from injury for the third race of the 1998–1999 World Cup in Zoetermeer, where he finished first overall winning gold in the 500 metres, 1500 metres and 5000 metre relay. Kim continued to dominate at the fourth race in Székesfehérvár and fifth race in Nobeyama, placing first overall in both with five individual gold medals (one in 1000 m, two in 1500 m, two in 3000 m). Kim, however, had controversial disqualifications in the quarterfinals of the 500 metres and 1000 metres at the final World Cup race in Beijing, China. Since Kim earned 75 points and Li Jiajun was 2 points behind Kim in the overall standings before the Beijing race, Korean media said the disqualification decisions were completely biased toward the Chinese skater for his overall title. Li eventually won the overall 1998–1999 World Cup title and Kim would have to settle for third spot on the overall podium. Ironically, a month after the Beijing World Cup, Li Jiajun did not make any individual medal at the 1999 Winter Asian Games in Gangwon, South Korea, controversially disqualified as well in the 500 metres and 1500 metres.