Shanghai / China

The third stop of the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating Series 2014/15 resumed today in Shanghai, China with the Ladies and Men’s 500 m and 1500 m events.

Kexin FAN (CHN) and Yoon-Gy Kwak (KOR) win the first 500 m of the weekend

Kexin Fan of China continued on her winning streak in the 500 m event by taking her third win of the season. She lead the race from start to finish, and extends her lead in the World Cup classification for the distance. Marianne St-Gelais of Canada finished in second place while Alang Kim (KOR) crossed the line in third. Elise Christie (GBR) finished fourth.

On the Men’s side, Yoon-Gy Kwak of Korea claimed the win in the 500 m event, which saw Dajing Wu (CHN) leading the race until he was awarded a penalty. Shaolin Sandor Liu (HUN) finished a very close second, while Dmitry Migunov (RUS) was third. The penalty causes Dajing Wu to relinquish the World Cup classification for the distance to Dmitry Migunov.

Yutong Han (CHN) and Da Woon Sin (KOR) at the top in the 1500 m

The local crowd was given another reason to celebrate today with two podium spots claimed in the Ladies’ 1500 m.  Yutong Han (CHN) finished first while her teammate Hongshuang Li finished third. This was Li’s first individual World Cup medal. Suk Hee Shim (KOR) crossed the line in third place. Arianna Fontana of Italy split the Korean skaters, taking third place. Suk Hee Shim maintains her lead in the World Cup classification in the 1500 m while the win by Han allows her to move into second place, ahead of Arianna Fontana (ITA), who is not competing this weekend.

On the Men’s side, Korea claimed yet another victory in the Men’s 1500 m: it was Da Woon Sin who finished first, after taking the lead with six laps to go. This is Da Woon Sin’s second win of the season in the distance. Charles Hamelin (CAN) finished in second, while John-Henry Krueger (USA) finished third. The World Cup classification leader for the distance remains Da Woon Sin, with Hamelin in second and Krueger in third.  

Racing resumes tomorrow with the Ladies and Men 1000 m and the second 500 m events. The teams advancing in Ladies 3000m Relay final are China, Russia, Korea and Canada; in the Men’s 5000m Relay, Canada, United States, Netherlands and Korea will be competing in the final.