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Korean skater Choi Min-jeong shines in Canada with medal wins

Published: 20 Oct. 2025, 09:41

Choi Min-jeong, left, competes in the women's 1,500-meter final at the International Skating Union Short Track World Tour event at Maurice Richard Arena in Montreal on Oct. 19. [AP/YONHAP]

Korean Olympic short track champion Choi Min-jeong has picked up a gold medal and a silver medal on the final day of the latest International Skating Union (ISU) Short Track World Tour event in Canada.

Choi, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, won the women's 1,500-meter (0.93-mile) title at Maurice Richard Arena in Montreal on Sunday with a time of 2:17.399. Choi beat Corinne Stoddard of the United States (2:17.516) for the only individual gold for Korea at the competition.

Choi had won silver in the women's 1,000m on Saturday. On the men's side, William Dandjinou of Canada swept the men's individual races — 500m, 1,000m and 1,500m — while also leading the home country to the 5,000m relay gold.

The only Korean men's medal came in the form of Hwang Dae-heon's bronze medal in the 1,000m on Sunday.

Also on Sunday, Choi helped Korea to silver in the mixed 2,000m relay. The team of Choi, Hwang, Kim Gil-li and Rim Jong-un finished the final in 2:38.004, with Canada taking the gold in 2:37.599.

No Korean reached the final in the women's 500m on Sunday.

Quota places for the nine short track events at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games will be determined based on the results at the four World Tour competitions.

Choi Min-jeong, left, celebrates after winning the gold medal in the women's 1,500 meters at the International Skating Union Short Track World Tour event at Maurice Richard Arena in Montreal on Oct. 19. [AP/YONHAP]

The three best results out of four ISU World Tour stops will be considered for Olympic quota places in the following races: the men's and women's 500m, 1,000m and 1,500m; the men's 5,000m relay; the women's 3,000m relay; and the mixed 2,000m relay.

There are 32 quota places up for grabs in the 500m and 1,000m, and 36 quota places for the 1,500m. The men's and women's relays will offer eight quota places, and the mixed relay event will have 12 quota places.

Each country can earn a maximum three quota places per individual event and one quota place per relay event. Teams can each register three men and three women for individual races, and four men and four women for the relays.

For the mixed relay, countries that have at least two male and two female skaters already qualified in individual races will be given priority.

Korea leads the all-time Olympic short track medal table with 26 gold medals and 53 medals overall.

Yonhap