▲ Choi Min-jeong
Living legend of South Korean short track, Choi Min-jeong (28), has claimed the top spot with dominant form in the first medal race of the national team retirement season's World Tour opener.
Choi won the gold medal in the women's 1,000m final at the 2026–27 International Skating Union (ISU) Short Track World Tour Leg 1, held at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, Canada, on the 25th (KST), recording 1 minute, 32.954 seconds.
Having advanced through the preliminaries, quarterfinals, and semifinals all in first place, Choi showcased the skills of a top star in the final as well.
After observing opportunities from third place in the early stages of the race, she began a full-fledged overtake with two and a half laps remaining.
She increased her speed, moved out to the outside lane to rise to second place, and immediately cut into the inside lane to surpass leader Xandra Velzeboer of the Netherlands.
Rising from third to first in just half a lap, Choi did not slow down thereafter.
She further accelerated to widen the gap with second-place Velzeboer, crossing the finish line first without any major crises.
Following the conclusion of the first national team selection trials for short track last April, Choi announced that she would return her national flag honors after the conclusion of the 2026–27 season.
However, she displayed world-class form starting from the very first tournament of her national team retirement season, proving her unwavering competitiveness.
Kim Gil-li, who competed alongside in the women's 1,000m final, finished in fifth place.
Choi subsequently combined for a silver medal in the women's 3,000m final held right after.
The South Korean team—consisting of Choi Min-jeong, Shim Suk-hee, Kim Gil-li, and Kim Min-ji—crossed the finish line second with a time of 4 minutes, 13.881 seconds, behind Canada (4 minutes, 13.609 seconds).
The national team maintained the lead throughout the race until a slight miscue during the baton exchange between Kim Gil-li and Choi Min-jeong with two laps remaining dropped them to fourth.
However, final anchor Choi skated with grit, and after the preceding skaters from the Netherlands and Italy collided and fell, she secured second place.
Having secured medals in both events on the first day of the Stage 1 finals, Choi will challenge for additional gold medals tomorrow in the 500m, 1,500m, and mixed relay.
In the men's 1,500m final, Lim Jong-eun won the silver medal.
Lim crossed the finish line second behind Jens van 't Wout of the Netherlands with a time of 2 minutes, 20.082 seconds.
As the sole South Korean skater to advance to the final, Lim conserved his energy in fourth place during the early stages of the race before moving out to the outside lane with two laps remaining to attempt an chase.
Although overtaking was difficult amid fierce positioning battles, he surged to second place on the final curve to capture the silver medal.
South Korea failed to secure a medal in the men's 500m, historically a weak event.
Lim Jong-eun placed third in semifinal heat 1 and was pushed to the B final, while Lee Jung-min succeeded in reaching the final but failed to win a medal.
Running in fourth place during the final lap of the final, Lee attempted an outside overtake and made contact with Steven Dubois of Canada on the final corner.
Although Lee crossed the finish line in third, he was penalized and disqualified for committing a foul against Dubois.
The men's 5,000m relay succeeded in advancing to the final.
Lim Jong-eun, Shin Dong-min, Kim Tae-sung, and Bae Seo-chan claimed the final ticket by finishing first in semifinal heat 1 with a time of 6 minutes, 56.350 seconds, outperforming Canada, Great Britain, and Italy.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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