S. Korean short track medal hopefuls cruise through early stages at Winter Asiad
HARBIN, China, Feb. 7 (Yonhap) — South Korean short track speed skaters expected to contend for medals easily made it past the early stages of the Asian Winter Games in China on Friday.
Three-time Olympic gold medalist Choi Min-jeong and the reigning World Cup overall champion Kim Gil-li both advanced to the semifinals of the women’s 1,500 meters at Heilongjiang Ice Events Training Center Multifunctional Hall in Harbin. They each won their quarterfinal heats held Friday morning, hours before the opening ceremony of the ninth Asian Winter Games.
Choi Min-jeong of South Korea (R) competes in the heats for the women’s 1,000 meters in short track speed skating at the Asian Winter Games at Heilongjiang Ice Events Training Center Multifunctional Hall in Harbin, China, on Feb. 7, 2025. (Yonhap)
Another South Korean, two-time Olympic relay champion Shim Suk-hee, finished second in her quarterfinal group to also reach the semifinals.
Also on Friday, Choi, Kim and Shim all qualified for the quarterfinals of the women’s 1,000m.
In the women’s 500m, Choi, Kim, and Lee So-yeon all advanced out of the heats to reach the quarterfinals.
Kim Gil-li of South Korea (R) competes in the heats for the women’s 1,000 meters in short track speed skating at the Asian Winter Games at Heilongjiang Ice Events Training Center Multifunctional Hall in Harbin, China, on Feb. 7, 2025. (Yonhap)
On the men’s side Friday, two-time World Cup champion Park Ji-won made it to the semifinals in the men’s 1,500m, joined by teammates Jang Sung-woo and Kim Gun-woo.
The same three skaters cruised to the quarterfinals in the men’s 1,000m.
In the men’s 500m, Park, Jang and Kim Tae-sung moved on to the quarterfinals.
In the 2,000m mixed relay, the quartet of Noh Do-hee, Shim Suk-hee, Kim Tae-sung and Kim Gun-woo sent South Korea to the semifinals, and then Choi, Kim Gil-li, Park and Jang won their semifinal heat to book a spot in the final.
Park Ji-won of South Korea (R) competes in the heats for the men’s 500 meters in short track speed skating at the Asian Winter Games at Heilongjiang Ice Events Training Center Multifunctional Hall in Harbin, China, on Feb. 7, 2025. (Yonhap)
Saturday will be the first of two days of short track medal races in Harbin. The quarterfinals, semifinals and finals for the women’s and men’s 500m, the semifinals and the finals for the women’s and men’s 1,500m, and the final for the 2,000m mixed relay will be held Saturday.
Sunday will feature finals for the 1,000m for both men and women, the women’s 3,000m relay and the men’s 5,000m relay.
South Korea will try to capture six out of nine gold medals at stake.
Jang Sung-woo of South Korea (R) competes in the heats for the men’s 500 meters in short track speed skating at the Asian Winter Games at Heilongjiang Ice Events Training Center Multifunctional Hall in Harbin, China, on Feb. 7, 2025. (Yonhap)
jeeho@yna.co.kr
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