South Korean short track star wins 1,000m, relay events in Montreal

[OSEN=No Jin-ju Reporter] Choi Min-jeong (Seongnam City Hall), a leading figure in South Korean short track, showcased a silver streak at the Montreal, Canada competition.

Choi Min-jeong won a silver medal in the women's 1,000m final at the 2025-2026 ISU Short Track World Tour 2nd competition, held at the Maurice Richard Arena in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on the 19th (Korean time), recording a time of 1 minute 28.165 seconds.

Courtney Sarault of Canada crossed the finish line first with a time of 1 minute 27.896 seconds, securing the gold medal.

After adjusting her race from the back immediately after the start, Choi Min-jeong accelerated with five laps remaining before the finish line, surging to second place in an instant. She then closely chased Sarault, applying pressure, but missed the chance to overtake by a narrow margin in the final corner.

The disappointment continued in the team event. South Korea, competing in the women's 3,000m relay final, featured Choi Min-jeong, Kim Gil-li (Seongnam City Hall), No Do-hee (Hwaseong City Hall), and Shim Suk-hee (Seoul City Hall). A mid-race fall by a Dutch skater led to a two-horse race between Canada and South Korea.

Kim Gil-li took the lead with six laps remaining before the finish line, changing the momentum. Shim Suk-hee then received the baton and extended the gap. However, the final skater Choi Min-jeong allowed Canada to overtake in a corner section with two laps left. Although she increased her speed again in the final lap, she failed to overturn the deficit. Canada won gold with a time of 4 minutes 7.341 seconds, while South Korea took silver with 4 minutes 7.517 seconds.

After the competition, Choi Min-jeong said through her management agency All That Sports, "In this World Tour series, I am exploring new possibilities by attempting various tactics. I am satisfied because the strategy worked to some extent today," adding, "Although there was a mistake in the relay, thanks to the dedication of my teammates, we were able to win a silver medal."

She continued, "I will definitely repay with a gold medal in the next competition," vowing her determination.

The men's national team had no harvest. In the 500m, Hwang Dae-heon (Gangwon Provincial Government) was penalized for pushing China's Sun Long in the preliminary semifinals, and Shin Dong-min (Korea University) was disqualified after receiving a yellow card for contact with an Australian skater in the repechage.

The results did not change in the 1,500m, a strong event for South Korea. Lim Jong-eon (Nowon High School) was disqualified for pushing a Dutch skater during an aggressive overtaking maneuver. Lee Jung-min (Seongnam City Hall) and Hong Kyung-hwan (Goyang City Hall) also failed to advance past the semifinals.

The national team will aim for the competition's first gold medal in the men's 1,000m, women's 500m and 1,500m, and mixed 2,000m relay events on the 20th.

Choi Min-jeong Secures Two Silvers at World Tour