Seoul / Korea

Better late than never for Elise Christie (GBR). The world champion won her first gold medal on the fourth and final stop of the Audi ISU World Cup Short Track in Seoul after an injury-hampered season.

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The world champion won her first gold medal on the fourth and final stop of the Audi ISU World Cup Short Track in Seoul after an injury-hampered season.

She controlled the ladies 500m final to fend off silver medallist Choi Min Jeong (KOR) and bronze medallist Martina Valcepina (ITA), who was aggressive at the start.

Christie said: “It’s nice to know when I’m not at my best I can still win, especially in the 500 [metres] because it’s my favourite. It was a really nice boost after everything I’ve had to fight with this season.”

The Briton went eight weeks without training properly and last week in Shanghai was the first time she had skated without pain.

She is optimistic about the Olympic Games despite the less than ideal lead-up.

“I feel like I’m only 50 per cent right now and I won and I have two, three months to turn that around now.

“I’m not injured now so all I have to do is go home and train hard, get my fitness back. If I can do this now then what can I do when I’m at my full fitness?”

She added: “It’s horrible racing now because I feel not like myself.”

Christie went straight to boyfriend Liu Shaolin Sandor (HUN) after winning but he was cautious as always.

“He told me to stop rushing so much. He’s always finding something to tell me off,” she said.

“He knows everything I’ve been through and he knew how much today meant to me so it’s nice to share that with him and my coach.”

Valcepina said she was “really happy” to grab a second individual bronze this world cup series.

Marianne St-Gelais’ (CAN) penalty in the final did not prevent her from leapfrogging Arianna Fontana – also penalised, in the B final – to become the ladies 500m overall world cup winner.

Canada’s Kasandra Bradette won the B final.

The confirmed list of quota places for the PyeongChang Olympics will be announced by the ISU.

Full entry lists and results of the Audi ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating are available here.

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