Choi Minjeong Tops Short-Track 500m Qualifying Results at 2018 Winter Olympics
Feb 10, 2018
South Korea's Choi Minjeong takes part in the women's 500m short track speed skating heat event during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games, at the Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangneung on February 10, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / ARIS MESSINIS (Photo credit should read ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images)
Choi Minjeong set a new Olympic record in the women's 500-metre speedskating qualifiers at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang on Saturday, just minutes after Great Britain's Elise Christie had done the same.
Christie had managed a finishing time of 42.872 seconds to win the fourth heat and qualify for the quarterfinals. The mark lasted until Heat 8 when Korea's Choi posted a 42.870 for the fastest time of the day.
The full results for each heat are available at the Games'official website.
Here's is the medal tracker:
Kim Boutin of Canada was dominant during the first heat, finishing in 43.364 seconds. Meanwhile, Poland's Natalia Maliszewska also made it through after clocking a time of 43.725.
A restart was needed in the second heat after Olympics debutant Kathryn Thomson crashed to the ground. There was an even bigger tumble when Suzanne Schulting hit the ice.
Thomson soon followed, leaving Arianna Fontana and Hungary's Andrea Keszler to make it through to the last eight. Italian Fontana led the way on 43.214 seconds, with Keszler not too far adrift at 43.274.
Sofia Prosvirnova will join them in the quarter-final after outpacing the competition in the third heat. The skater clocked a time of 43.376 seconds, ahead of Yara van Kerkhof, who managed a respectable 43.430 finishing time.
Next up it was Christie's turn to emphasise her credentials for gold. She got on the front early and held off strong challenges from Qu and Shim.
The former managed to take second, but the moment belonged to Christie, who made history, per BBC Sport:
Not only has @Elise_Christie won her heat, she has also set a new Olympic record of 42.872 seconds.
Fan Kexin went through safely after Heat 5, finishing ahead of Team USA's Maame Biney. Next up, Martina Valcepina continued Italy's positive start by topping the sixth heat at 43.698.
Valcepina's win came as another skater, Canada's Jamie McDonald incurred a penalty after taking a fall.
Team Canada made amends in the penultimate heat when Marianne St-Gelais, in her last Olympics before retirement, won with room to spare. She finished in 43.437, with Germany's Anna Seidel joining her in the next stage.
A three-skater crash in the final heat meant home favourite Choi was untroubled as she consigned Christie's record to history.
Attention will now turn to the quarter-finals on Tuesday, with Christie and Choi both using the heats to prove they will be the skaters to beat.
