S. Korean short trackers win gold, silver in women's 1,500m

Kim Gil-li of South Korea celebrates after winning the gold medal in the women's 1,500-meter short track speed skating event at the Winter Olympics at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Feb. 20. Yonhap

MILAN — Short track speed skaters Kim Gil-li and Choi Min-jeong captured the gold and silver medals in the women's 1,500 meters at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, Friday.

Kim held off Choi for her second gold medal and her third medal overall at the Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on the final day of short track races at this year's Olympics. Kim became the first double gold medalist for South Korea here while also denying Choi her third consecutive gold in this distance.

Corinne Stoddard of the United States took the bronze medal.

With her seventh career medal, Choi became the most decorated Olympian ever for South Korea. She broke a tie with former archer Kim Soo-nyung, former shooter Jin Jong-oh and speed skater Lee Seung-hoon.

Kim earlier won bronze in the women's 1,000m and teamed up with Choi and two others for gold in the women's 3,000m relay. Kim is the first South Korean short tracker to win three medals in an Olympic debut since her current teammate Shim Suk-hee in 2014.

South Korea finished the short track competition with two gold medals, three silver medals and two bronze medals.

In a slow-developing, 14-lap race, Choi and Kim started in the middle of the pack among seven finalists, with Stoodard moving to the front early.

At the halfway mark, Choi went from fifth place to second place in a hurry, while Kim stayed back in fourth place.

Choi Min-jeong of South Korea, left, congratulates teammate Kim Gil-li after Kim won the gold medal in the women's 1,500-meter short track speed skating event at the Winter Olympics at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan Feb. 20. Choi won the silver medal. Yonhap

With three laps left, it was Stoddard, Choi and Kim. But as Choi charged into the lead in the next lap, Kim followed right behind her, leaving Stoddard in third place.

The two South Koreans pulled away from the American, and Kim kicked into another gear to skate past Choi over the final lap and cross the line first.

With these two medals, plus the men's 5,000m relay silver medal from earlier Friday, South Korea now has three gold medals, four silver medals and three bronze medals overall in Italy, with two more days of competition left.