South Korean speed skater Noh Seon-yeong, who almost missed her spot in the 2018 Winter Games in late January due to an apparent mix-up by the nation's skating union, started her warmup for the competition on Sunday.

"It was a challenging journey towards this moment. Therefore, I just wish to perform well," Noh told reporters after training at the Gangneung Oval in the sub-host city of Gangneung, which will host ice events.
 

"I want to try my best within my capabilities without any regrets," Noh added.

The female skater almost missed the 2018 Winter Games due to an apparent mistake by the Korea Skating Union (KSU).

Under the Olympic qualification rules set by the International Skating Union (ISU), all skaters competing in team pursuit must also have qualified for at least one individual race. The KSU blamed a mix-up in communication with the ISU for the oversight.

Noh later earned her spot when two of the three Russian skaters who had qualified were dropped from the Russian Olympic Committee's final list.

Noh is an elder sister of former short track star Noh Jin-kyu, who died of bone cancer in 2016. His passing has made the PyeongChang Winter Olympics even more important for Noh, especially as she wishes to dedicate her medal to her late brother. (Yonhap)