By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
South Korea's short track team demonstrated its top-level skills Saturday at the International Skating Union (ISU) World Cup Short Track in Harbin, China, taking three gold medals.
In the first event of the six-event series, which will also take place in Japan, Netherlands, Italy, Canada and the United States from October to February, Ahn Hyun-soo, Sung Si-bak and Cho Ha-ri brought titles to the Korean team.
Turin Winter Olympics triple gold medallist Ahn, 21, won the 1,000 meters in 1 minute, 28.383 seconds to hold off compatriot Lee Ho-suk, 21, by 0.171 of a second.
In the men's 1,500 meters, 20-year-old Sung clocked a 2:14.487 to top the race. The silver medal went to South Korea's Lee Seung-hoon, whose time was 2:14.705.
Another close race between South Korean skaters happened in the women's 1,500. Cho, 21, crossed the finish line ahead of Shin Sae-bom by 0.02 of a second - 2:21.089 to 2:21.109.
Neither Jung Eun-ju nor Jin Sun-yu won a gold medal in the women's 1,000, the only event South Korea did not top on the day. China's Wang Meng won that race, while Jung and Jin took silver and bronze medals.