Kim Gil-li wins double gold at short track World Cup in Seoul

Korea’s Kim Gil-li, 19, wins the second women’s 1,500-meter final of the International Skating Union World Cup at Mokdong Ice Rink in western Seoul on Sunday. [NEWS1]

Korean short-track speed skaters took home a slew of medals at the International Skating Union (ISU) World Cup in Seoul over the weekend.

Korea’s Kim Gil-li, 19, took home her biggest individual haul of the season, winning gold in both runs of the women’s 1,500-meter race for the first time. The ISU ran two separate 1,500-meter races in each of the men’s and women’s categories in Seoul.

In the first women’s 1,500 meters, Kim finished with a time of 2 minutes and 35.785 seconds, narrowly edging out Corinne Stoddard of the United States who finished with 2 minutes and 35.865 seconds and Gong Li of China with 2 minutes and 35.984 seconds.

Kim notched an even faster time in the second women’s 1,500-meter final, finishing with 2 minutes and 23.746, edging out Kristen Santos-Griswold of the United States, who clocked in at 2 minutes and 23.968 seconds. Belgium’s Hanne Desmet took bronze, finishing with 2 minutes and 24.283 seconds.

Kim, along with Lee So-yeon, Seo Whi-min and Shim Suk-hee, also took home a silver medal for Korea in the women’s 3,000-meter relay with a time of 4 minutes and 10.607 seconds — beating China but coming behind the Netherlands.

Over in the men’s events, Korea’s Park Ji-won took gold in the first men’s 1,500-meter final with a time of 2 minutes and 16.323 seconds. He edged out Canadian skaters William Dandjinou, who took silver with 2 minutes and 16.432 seconds, and Felix Roussel, with 2 minutes and 16.553 seconds.

Park took silver in the second men’s 1,500 meters with 2 minutes and 18.698 seconds, coming behind Dandjinou but ahead of Canada’s Steven Dubois.

Korea’s Hwang Dae-hoon took silver in the men’s 1,000-meter final, finishing with 1 minute and 27.113 seconds. Dubois took gold with 1 minute and 27.099 seconds and Canada’s Pascal Dion took bronze with 1 minute and 27.302 seconds.

And Seo Yi-ra, who recently announced his un-retirement, took silver in the men’s 500 meters with a time of 41.205 seconds, behind China’s Liu Shaoang with 41.196 seconds, but edging out Kazakhstan’s Denis Nikisha with 41.525 seconds.

The team of Kim, Shim, Park and Hwang took bronze in the mixed 5,000-meter relay after being penalized for colliding with the Netherlands during the final. The United States was then penalized in the re-run and also took bronze, tying with Korea.

The World Cup, the first to take place Korea in six years, was held at Mokdong Ice Rink in western Seoul from Dec. 15 to 17.

It was the fourth World Cup of the ISU season. There are two World Cups remaining this season, and the next is set for Dresden, Germany in February.

BY MARY YANG [mary.yang@joongang.co.kr]