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Hungary shocked the masses by winning gold in the men's short-track speedskating 5,000-metre relay on Thursday at the 2018 Winter Olympics, setting a new Olympic record of six minutes, 31.971 seconds.
Sandor Shaolin Liu was the man who crossed the line for Hungary, who lurked for the vast majority of Thursday's final and allowed their opponents to sear ahead before timing a late surge to perfection.
China took the silver medal while Canada claimed bronze behind them, and South Korea tailed off after a mid-race fall ended their chances of placing.
Here's a look at the updated medal table after Thursday's relay result:
Liu had to settle for a place in the men's B final in the 500 metres earlier in the day but made it to the big show for the relay and made it count in a team alongside brother Shaoang.
Sports broadcaster Andi Petrillo confirmed just what a historic moment the win was for their nation:
Hungary's patient tactics paid dividends.
Wu Dajing broke the 500-metre short-track world record en route to clinching a gold medal in the event earlier on Thursday but returned for the relay and helped steer China into the conversation for an early lead.
They went back and forth with South Korea for roughly half the race, but a fall from Lim Hyojun with 22 laps remaining allowed China to gallop ahead while Hungary and Canada led the fight for top spot.
Samuel Girard couldn't snatch a podium place in the 500-metre final earlier on but was a major aid in helping Canada steal the lead for a short time with around eight laps to go, though Hungary were fighting hard.
Girard already won gold in the 1,000 metres, while Charles Hamelin, 33, added another accolade to his record in what's likely to be his last Winter Olympics, per Sportsnet's Caroline Cameron:
With energy tanks more preserved from their tail-gating approach earlier in the race, it was the Hungarians who showed an extra yard of pace and wrestled the lead late on, setting up a fierce fight with China.
Wu and Co. were unable to take back the lead they'd held for such a long period from the beginning of the race, and Liu poked his way over the line in a new Olympic best, all at the age of 22.
He embraced girlfriend, Great Britain's star speedskater Elise Christie, from across the barrier to celebrate a deserved win, one Hungary won't forget in a hurry considering it was their first in Winter Olympics history.
China were made to settle for their second speedskating silver, meanwhile, and Canada their fifth overall speedskating medal at these Games, making them the second most decorated of any nation behind hosts South Korea.
Suzanne Schulting took a surprise gold in the short-track 1,000-metre final on Thursday at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
The Dutch skater recorded a time of one minute, 29.778 seconds to finish ahead of Canada's Kim Boutin and Arianna Fontana of Italy.
Korean duo Choi Min-jeong and Shim Suk-hee crashed out of the race at the Gangneung Ice Arena.
Here are the podium times:
Suzanne Schulting—1:29.778 (NED)
Kim Boutin—1:29.956 (CAN)
Arianna Fontana—1:30.656 (ITA)
Here is the live medal table:
Boutin was quickest in both the quarter and semi-finals, while Choi was advanced after finishing third in her semi-final with China's Qu Chunyu penalised.
Meanwhile, there was no Final B, as Kim A-lang would have been the only competitor in it, as Valerie Maltais was also penalised in her semi-final.
Boutin, starting from the inside lane and was first into the opening bend, but she was immediately overtaken by Shim and Schulting.
The Canadian briefly battled back to the front with five laps to go as she duelled with Schulting, while Fontana took up third place behind the pair.
The Dutch skater maintained her lead for the second half of the race to secure gold, while both Koreans collided with one another and crashed out on final lap as they tried to come around the outside, per BBC Sport:
Short-track analyst Tony Chung praised Schulting, while NBC's Nick Zaccardi noted the significance of the gold:
Boutin's silver also represented a successful Games for her, having bettered the bronze medals she managed in the 500-metre and 1,500-metre events.
As for Fontana, her bronze was her eighth Olympic medal, making the Italian the most decorated female short-track speedskater of all time.
Wu Dajing clinched gold for China in the men's short-track speedskating 500-metre final at the 2018 Winter Olympics on Thursday, winning in a new world-record time of 39.584 seconds.
South Korea collected silver and bronze on the podium as Hwang Daeheon and Lim Hyojun finished second and third, respectively, while 1,000-metre gold-medal winner Samuel Girard left empty-handed.
Wu set new world and Olympic records earlier on Thursday and laid down a new marker by beating his best time again, dominating the final from start to finish despite South Korea's best efforts to hunt down his lead.
The victory provided a breakthrough for China at these Winter Olympics with only a few days left until the closing ceremony, per China Global Television Network:
Wu blazed to a new world record in his quarter-final performance and less than an hour later established a new competition best to cement his spot as a deserved victor in the short-distance event.
Thursday's gold also helps make up for his narrow miss in the 500 metres at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, where he had to settle for second place on the podium behind Russian Viktor Ahn.
It was Wu who initiated a false start before the race could get under way first time around, although his initiative was accurate on second attempt and helped him set off on the front foot.
The Korean pair of Hwang and Lim did their utmost to chase down the Chinese contender, but Wu was imperious from the gun and never looked like surrendering yardage on the bends.
Girard was off the pace throughout. Sports writer Arash Madani provided context from the Canadian skater, who was well aware a slow beginning in the final wouldn't yield results:
Earlier on Thursday, Hungary's Sandor Shaolin Liu won the men's B final with a time of 40.651 seconds after leading the race from gun to tape, with China's Ziwei Ren just behind him.
Liu put himself in strong contention to capitalise upon any slip-ups in the A final as a best-placed finisher, but his effort wasn't sufficient to see him onto the podium.
The short-track speedskating tournament will reach its climax at the 2018 Winter Olympics on Thursday when the last few medals are decided in the men's 500 metres, women's 1,000 metres and men's 5,000-metre relay events.
The home supporters will be particularly hopeful of their team finishing strongly in Pyeongchang, South Korea, after taking a grip on the medal stakes thus far, winning three of the five golds handed out.
Rivals China came to this year's Games hoping to disrupt South Korea's monopoly over the short-track events, but their opportunities are running out as this portion of the Winter Olympics enters its final exchanges.
Thursday's morning schedule will see the field fly through a series of qualifying and medal events in less than two hours, with little time to spare in one of the fastest-moving formats on display.
Read on for a breakdown of Thursday's event schedule, complete with all the information you need to ensure you don't miss out.
Date: Thursday, February 22
TV Info: NBC Universal (U.S.), BBC and Eurosport (UK)
Live Stream: NBC Olympics (U.S.), BBC iPlayer (UK), Eurosport Player (UK)
Schedule (estimated start times)
5 a.m. ET/10 a.m. GMT, Men's 500-metre quarter-finals
5:14 a.m. ET/10:14 a.m. GMT, Women's 1,000-metre quarter-finals
5:42 a.m. ET/10:42 a.m. GMT, Men's 500-metre semi-finals
5:51 a.m. ET/10:51 a.m. GMT, Women's 1,000-metre semi-finals
6:13 a.m. ET/11:13 a.m. GMT, Men's 500-metre finals (Medal)
6:26 a.m. ET/11:26 a.m. GMT, Women's 1,000-metre finals (Medal)
6:52 a.m. ET/11:52 a.m. GMT, Men's 5,000-metre relay finals (Medal)
Visit the official Pyeongchang 2018 website for the schedule in full.
Preview
It may be Choi Min-jeong's first appearance at a Winter Olympics, but the 19-year-old is on the verge of recording Games history if she can finish atop the podium in the women's 1,000 metres for South Korea.
Doing so will ensure the teenager her third gold medal of these Olympics, which would beat the two gold medals compatriot Park Seung-hi clinched at the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia, winning the relay and 1,000-metre events:
After already taking gold in the relay and 1,500 metres, Choi now needs to translate her form to a shorter distance, although team-mate Shim Suk-hee and Kim A-lang are also seeking their second gold medals of these Games.
Shim in particular has motivation in this event after she won bronze in Sochi four years ago, although South Korea's women have relied on some fortune to raise their medal tally recently, via 7Olympics:
Of the five Chinese athletes who make up their 5,000-metre relay team, only Wu Dajing, Han Tianyu and Ren Ziwei will also take part in the 500-metre event. After winning two golds, three silvers and one bronze at Sochi 2014, China have been disappointed to take just one silver at this Olympics so far.
However, Wu spoke to the International Skating Union prior to the Games and had high hopes for his team in both the team event and individual stakes:
"I think China's strength is that we're very united in our goal. That makes us well prepared for the challenges. Our individual levels are all high. I think all of us are capable of challenging to be champion.
"Let's see what happens when it's here. It's still too early to say who will be number one. Everyone starts at the same line. There's definitely pressure but we still have to do our part. We're less than 30 days from the Olympics, and we have to do our best."
Wu took silver in the 500 metres four years ago and played a role in China's 5,000-metre relay bronze, meaning he'll be one to keep an eye on in both disciplines.
Canada are the most decorated team in the men's 5,000-metre relay and have won three of the seven gold medals handed out in this event, not to mention winning silver both times South Korea have won it.
The hosts can draw level with three gold medals apiece should they time their toe pokes correctly, but there's everything to skate for in an event where competitors can slip and tumble in an instant.
Wu Dajing set an Olympic record in the men's 500-metre short-track speedskating qualifying at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
He set a time of 40.264 seconds in the Gangneung Ice Arena to become the quickest qualifier, ahead of compatriot Ren Ziwei.
Here are the top three qualifying times:
Wu Dajing—40.264 (CHN)
Ren Ziwei—40.294 (CHN)
Lim Hyo-jun—40.418 (KOR)
Dajing laid down the gauntlet for his fellow competitors in the opening heat, and his time would remain the best of the session after all the heats were completed. Bartosz Konopko progressed along with him.
Samuel Girard of Canada topped the second with a time of 40.493, followed by Latvia's Roberts Zvejnieks.
CBC's Charlsie Agro was impressed:
His compatriot Charles Hamelin missed out in Heat 4, though.
He came third after being forced out wide, but he was penalised for his contact with Denis Nikisha, who advanced along with local favourite Lim Hyojun and Daan Breeuwsma, per CBC Olympics:
Former Olympian Anson Henry paid tribute to Hamelin:
The same happened to Sjinkie Knegt in the following heat, with Ren sailing through ahead of Aleksandr Shulginov and the advanced Nurbergen Zhumagaziyev.
Hungarian brothers Shaoang Liu and Shaolin Sandor Liu topped Heats 6 and 8, respectively, either side of Hwang Dae-heon's win in Heat 7.
Those who qualified will compete again on Thursday, starting with the quarter-finals.
Suzanne Schulting of the Netherlands qualified with the fastest time from the heats of the women's 1,000-metres short-track speedskating on Tuesday at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
The Netherlands skater posted a mark of one minute, 29.519 seconds to top the standings, while Choi Min-jeong and Arianna Fontana, winners of the 1,500 metres and 500 metres, respectively, also progressed in routine style.
Meanwhile, Elise Christie's Games are over, as the Great Britain star was disqualified from her heat after some illegal contact. That was after she had finished in second position.
Here are the top three qualifiers from the heats, as the women's 1,000-metres got off to a fascinating start.
1. Suzanna Schulting (NED) - 1:29.519
2. Ekaterina Efremenkova (OAR) - 1:29.598
3. Kim Alang (KOR) - 1:30.459
For the results in full, visit the Pyeongchang website.
Schulting on Top, More Heartbreak for Christie
The home supporters were keen to see Choi in action early on after her blistering display in the 1,500-metres.
The South Korean had few problems in her heat, as she came home ahead of China's Chunyu Qu. Her mark was bettered in the heat after, though, as Schulting and Efremenkova moved to the summit of the standings.
Later in the session, all eyes were on Christie. After crashing out of the 1,500-metres and suffering damage to her ankle, there were big fears as to whether she would be able to compete at all.
Still, the Scot made her way to the start, although she was tripped off the line and fell to the floor, prompting a restart of the heat. Christie appeared to be struggling with her ankle, and there were temporary doubts as to whether she'd be able to go again.
Christie was able to haul herself up, though, and while she hung back at the start second time around, she produced a commendable performance to come home in second place. Christie was then carried from the ice, clearly feeling the effects of her injured ankle.
The Press Association's Mark Staniforth praised the display, although he noted the result had not been made official:
After a significant delay, it was deemed that Christie had made two illegal moves and was issued with a yellow card. It meant her Games, having fallen in the final of the 500-metres, too, were over.
Sky Sports summed up what had been an Olympics to forget for the Briton:
Afterwards, Christie admitted that she was nowhere near full fitness when she took to the ice on Tuesday.
"I did everything I could to change it around," she said, per BBC Sport. "I had ligament damage, and putting skates on wasn't comfortable. We did everything but it obviously wasn't meant to to be. If it was another competition I wouldn't have got on the ice. The only reason I was given a choice was because it's the Olympics."
Following the drama of Christie's elimination, a number of other big names progressed with ease. As noted by reporter Arash Madani, it was a good session for the Canadian team:
After winning bronze in the 500-metres and 1,500-metres already, Kim Boutin is definitely one to keep an eye on in the latter stages of the event.
The quarter-finals will take place on Thursday for the 1,000-metres.
There are five more gold medals up for grabs at the 2018 Winter Olympics on Tuesday, with Norway and Germany duelling for supremacy at the top of the table.
Medals have already been handed out in the ice dance and women's ski halfpipe, and more will be available in biathlon, Nordic combined and short-track speedskating as the action continues in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Here is the live medal tracker so you can keep up to date with the table:
Tuesday's Medal Count
You can keep track of all of Tuesday's medal winners throughout the day at Olympic.org.
Tuesday's Storylines
South Korea will be looking to defend their Olympic title in the women's 3,000-metre short-track speedskating relay on home turf on Tuesday, when they take on Canada, China and Italy at the Gangneung Ice Arena.
The hosts have picked up gold in this event in 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006 as well as at Sochi 2014, so they will be expecting another victory here.
They boast Choi Min-jeong in their ranks this time around, and the 19-year-old has already picked up gold in the 1,500-metre event in Pyeonchang. She finished second in the 500 metres too but was penalised and did not receive a silver medal.
The hosts had a remarkable heat as they overcame an incredible hurdle to qualify for the relay final, per CBC's Devin Heroux:
Not only did they recover from the fall, they also topped their heat ahead of Canada and set an Olympic record in the process, though that time was then beaten by China in their heat.
China will also have their eye on gold after setting a time of 4 minutes, 5.315 seconds, but Canada and Italy can't be ruled out.
The Italians are led by Arianna Fontana once again, and the 27-year-old finally tasted Olympic gold following her victory in the 500 metres, per ISU Speed Skating:
Meanwhile, Canada have picked up silver in the 3,000-metre relay in the past three Games, so they will be hoping to go one better this time around.
Kim Boutin earned bronze in both the 500 and 1,500 metres, and she will be spearheading their push.
The Canadians set the slowest time of the four nations in the heats, though, so they will need to improve on that if they are to be in contention.
Tuesday is expected to be a showcase of South Korean short-track speedskating at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
The host nation's athletes should post top times in the qualification heats of the women's 1,000 meters, and it enters the women's 3,000-meter relay as the gold-medal favorite.
Shim Suk-hee and Choi Min-jeong are the names to watch in the individual event, and they will be relied upon to lead South Korea to an Olympic medal on home ice at Gangneung Ice Arena.
In the men's 500-meters heats, Seo Yi-ra is expected to put a show for the home fans, while numerous medalists from the 1,000 meters and 1,500 meters, including John-Henry Krueger of the United States, attempt to cruise into the quarterfinal round.
Tuesday Short-Track Speedskating Schedule
Women's 1,000-meters heats (5 a.m. ET)
Men's 500-meters heats (5:45 a.m. ET)
Women's 3,000-meter relay "B" final (6:23 a.m. ET)
Women's 3,000-meter relay "A" final (6:29 a.m. ET)
All events can be live-streamed on NBCOlympics.com.
South Korea Favored in Women's 3,000-Meter Relay
The only short-track gold handed out Tuesday should belong to South Korea, but it is expected to face a challenge from the three other nations in the chaotic relay event.
The South Korean 3,000-meter relay team is the gold standard for the country's short-track program, as it had captured five of the past six Olympic titles and is the event's world-record holder.
Shim and Choi should use the qualification heats of the women's 1,000-meters as warm-up races for the relay in which they'll pull most of the team's weight.
Choi already has a gold from the women's 1,500 meters in Pyeongchang, while Shim has a relay gold, a silver and a bronze from four years ago in her trophy cabinet.
Although they are the favorites to win, the South Koreans enter with the third-best qualification time after China and Italy advanced out of a fast heat that included three teams that went under four minutes, six seconds.
China's time of four minutes, 5.315 seconds broke an Olympic record it set at the Vancouver Games in 2010.
South Korea cruised to victory in its heat in a time of four minutes, 6.387 seconds, which was a full second ahead of Canada in second place.
The showdown between South Korea and China should be one of the top races of the short-track schedule, and with Canada and Italy capable of taking gold as well, the final could be frenetic and feature a plethora of lead changes.
Krueger Begins Quest for 2nd Olympic Medal
After taking home the first American individual short-track medal since 2010 in the men's 1,000 meters Saturday, Krueger begins the search for his second medal Tuesday.
The 22-year-old Pittsburgh native has a lot of work to do just to get out of his qualification heat, as it contains a pair of Olympic medalists in China's Han Tianyu and Semen Elistratov of the Olympic Athletes from Russia.
Also included in the loaded final heat is Hungary's Shaolin Sandor Liu, who captured the 500-meters title at the 2016 World Championships.
If Krueger comes out of what is expected to be one of the fastest heats in first or second, it will be seen as a massive accomplishment for a skater who enters as a considerable underdog.
Aaron Tran and Thomas Insuk Hong are the two other Americans entered in the event. Tran competes in Heat 1 alongside China's Wu Dajing, who is one of the gold-medal favorites, while Hong races in Heat 7 with Japan's Keita Watanabe expected to win the qualification race.
Other names to watch during the eight qualification heats are Canada's Charles Hamelin and Sam Girard, both of whom are looking to earn Canada's fifth short-track gold in the past three Olympics.
Shim, Choi Expected to Lead Women's 1,000M Qualifying
Before they lead South Korea in the women's 3,000-meter relay final, Shim and Choi should set two of the best times in the women's 1,000-meters qualifying.
Shim, who set the world record in the event in 2012, kicks off the round of eight heats as the marquee competitor in Heat 1.
The 21-year-old phenom has been one of the top short-track racers since she burst on to the senior circuit in 2012, but she hasn't tasted individual glory at the Olympics, with her best finish in Sochi earning her a silver in the 1,500 meters.
Choi, who won gold in the women's 1,500 meters, drew the top position in Heat 2, a race in which she should cruise to the top spot.
Other medal contenders looking to top the qualifying chart include Elise Christie of Great Britain, who crashed out of the 1,500 meters in the semifinal round, and Canada's Marianne St-Gelais.
Jessica Kooreman and Lana Gehring are the American competitors hoping to advance to Thursday's quarterfinals.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from Olympic.org.
Samuel Girard crossed the line first to win gold in the men's 1,000-metre short-track speedskating final at the 2018 Winter Olympics on Saturday in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
The Canadian set a time of 1 minute, 24.650 in the Gangneung Ice Arena ahead of Team USA's John-Henry Krueger's 1:24.864.
Local favourite Seo Yira took third after he and compatriot Lim Hyo-jun crashed with one lap remaining, with Hungary's Shaolin Sandor Liu penalised.
Here are the podium times:
1. Samuel Girard: 1:24.650 (CAN)
2. John-Henry Krueger: 1:24.864 (USA)
3. Seo Yira: 1:31.619 (KOR)
Here is the updated medal table:
Two of the medal favourites, Sjinkie Knegt and Charles Hamelin, did not even make it to the final.
Knegt was penalised in his quarter-final for interference, while Hamelin was hit with a penalty in his semi-final.
Their absence paved the way for Girard, who advanced from the second semi-final following his countryman's disqualification.
Krueger led the race into the first turn, closely followed by the Canadian. The pair exchanged places repeatedly throughout the contest before Girard held on to the lead on to secure the gold.
Behind the duo, Liu—who earlier witnessed his girlfriend, Elise Christie of Great Britain, penalised in the women's 1,500-metre event—took out Lim and Seo on the penultimate lap.
Short-track analyst Tony Chung praised Girard for his approach to the race:
As sports broadcaster Andi Petrillo noted, he made history with his win:
Girard will have further opportunities for success in the 500-metre event and the 5,000-metre relay.
