Short-track speed skating sees rising competitiveness at Beijing 2022

BEIJING, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- As China's Han Yutong crossed the finish line in the women's 1,500m final, the enthralling and thrilling competition of short track speed skating concluded here on Wednesday at the Beijing Winter Games.

South Korea expanded its lead on the medal tally with five medals after defending champion Choi Min-jeong won the gold in the women's 1,500m on Wednesday.

China, the Netherlands, Italy and Canada won four medals each, with China and the Netherlands taking two gold medals each, followed by Hungary with three, ROC two and Belgium one medal.

The addition of the 2,000m mixed team relay to the Winter Games has seen the increasing competitiveness among teams.

China has enjoyed its most successful Olympic Winter Games and short track certainly played its part.

On the first match day of short track, the Chinese quartet of Fan Kexin, Qu Chunyu, Ren Ziwei and Wu Dajing, stormed to a thrilling victory in the debut event and claimed the first gold for China.

Short-track speed skating has long been China's largest gold mine at the Winter Olympics. Since the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, Chinese short-track speed skaters have won at least a gold medal in each of the following Games.

Just two days after the first gold, Ren Ziwei clinched his first individual gold medal in the men's 1,000m race and his compatriot Li Wenlong took the silver.

The 2,000m mixed team relay also witnessed the strong performance of two European teams. Italy's Pietro Sighel crossed the line only 0.016 seconds short of China, while Hungary took bronze.

In the short track events at Beijing 2022, Italy had another achievement to celebrate as Arianna Fontana became the only short track speed skater to earn 11 Olympic medals.

Fontana, who made her Olympic debut at her home Games in Turin in 2006, has won one gold in women's 500m and two silvers in women's 3,000m relay and mixed relay in Beijing.

"The next [Winter] Olympics will be in Italy, and my first Olympics was in Italy as well, so there is a dream," the five-time Olympian Fontana said of her future plan.

"It is a dream for now, so we'll see if it will become real or not," the 31-year-old Fontana added.

Also on the fifth journey of the Winter Olympics, Canadian legend skater Charles Hamelin and his teammates claimed the men's 5,000m short track speed skating relay gold.

At age 37, Hamelin extended his record as the oldest male short track skater to win an Olympic medal.

"We worked so hard for so long, and it just came easy at the end. Finishing on top of the podium with these guys, it is living your dream." Hamelin said.

The Capital Indoor Stadium has witnessed six new Olympic marks and one world record refreshed since the short-track speed skating competitions got underway on February 5.

Suzanne Schulting of the Netherlands was the most victorious record-breaking individual among short-track speed skaters in Beijing.

Schulting has renewed the world and Olympic record in women's 1,000m to

one minute and 26.514 seconds, as well as a new record in 500m in 42.379.

With the help of the 24-year-old Schulting, the Netherlands also lowered the Olympic records in women's 3,000m Relay finals and mixed relay quarterfinals.

"I think we can be really proud of that we showed how amazing short track is," Schulting said after the 1,500m race.