Choi Min-jeong's Thrilling Comeback Victory... Consecutive Golds Even in 'National Team Retirement Season'

Short-track star Choi Min-jeong continued her unstoppable gold-medal streak during the World Tour in her final season as a national team member.

Competing in the women's 1,000m at the World Tour Leg 2 in Montreal, Canada, Choi finished first in her groups in both the quarterfinals and semifinals before delivering a thrilling comeback race in the final.

With three home-team Canadian skaters dominating the front, Choi, who was skating in fourth place, made her decisive move with two laps remaining.

Charging through the outside lane to pass two skaters within a single lap, she skillfully attacked the inside track with half a lap to go, overtaking even Courtney Sarault, the overall champion of last season's World Tour.

Crossing the finish line in first place by a margin of 0.063 seconds, Choi raised both arms in celebration of winning the gold medal in this event for the second consecutive week.

The 28-year-old Choi, who has announced her retirement from the national team after this season, still demonstrated her world-class competitiveness and confidence.

[Choi Min-jeong / Short-Track National Team Member : It was a really tough race, but I believed in myself. I always win gold medals in Montreal, so I expected it this time too, and I'm really happy to win the gold medal again.]

Choi also showcased her incredible overtaking ability in the women's 3,000m relay.

Receiving the baton in third place behind Italy and Canada with two laps remaining, Choi powerfully surged through the outside to narrow the gap. She then skillfully sliced to the inside at the final corner before engaging in a skate-blade lunge battle at the finish.

Amid a fierce battle and a penalty given to Canada, the national team finished just 0.014 seconds behind Italy to claim the silver medal for the second consecutive event.

Having secured four medals, including one gold, at the first event, and adding another gold and silver today, Choi will continue her medal race in events such as her signature 1,500m tomorrow (Nov. 2). Afterward, she will return home to prepare for the World Tour Leg 3, which will be held domestically this month.

Reported by Kim Hyeong-yeol | Video by Park Jung-sam | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.