Lee Wins Overall Short Track Title
By Kim Jae-won
Staff Reporter
South Korean short tracker Lee Ho-suk took his first overall world title in the International Skating Union (ISU) Championships in Vienna, Austria, Sunday.
Lee captured two gold medals in the 1,000-meter and 1,500-meter competitions by clocking 1 minute and 26.060 seconds and 2:20.967, respectively.
The 22-year-old added one silver medal in the 3,000 meters in 4:50.114. Lee earned 89 points to edge out America's J.R. Celski who scored 65. Celski grabbed gold in the 3,000 meters and two bronzes in the 1,000-meter and 1,500-meter races.
Canadian Charles Hamelin ranked third with 47. Defending champion Apolo Anton Ohno of the United States ranked fifth overall. Lee's compatriot Kwak Yoon-gy earned two sliver medals in the 500-meter and 1,500-meter competitions by recording 41.739 and 2:21.078, respectively.
Korea and the United States shared two gold medals each, while Canada captured one gold in the men's competitions. In the women's, South Korean Kim Min-jung took second spot by scoring 76. Chinese Wang Meng claimed a second consecutive overall title with five more points than Kim. Zhou Yang of China took the third spot with 63.
Kim clinched one gold in the 1,500-meter race in 2:21.432. She also grabbed three silver medals in the 1,000-meter, 3,000-meter and 3,000-meter-relay races.
Wang took two gold medals in the 500-meter and 1,000-meter showdowns.
Korean Shin Sae-bom ranked fourth with 39 with three bronze medals in the 1,000-meter, 1,500-meter and 3,000-meter games.
China dominated in the women's competition by four gold medals in the 500-meter, 1,000-meter, 3,000-meter and 3,000-meter-relay races. It captured four out of the five events.
South Koreans grabbed at least one medal in every field, except in the women's 500-meter and men's 5,000-meter relays.
Korean Jung Eun-ju got a cut on the thigh with the skate blade when she fell down with other players in the women's 500-meter preliminary competition, Saturday. The injured Jung couldn't take part in the 1,000-meter and 3,000-meter races.
The next ISU short track event is to be held in Heerenveen, the Netherlands, next weekend.