(LEAD) (Olympics) S. Korea captures gold in women's short track relay
MILAN, Feb. 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korea captured the women's short track relay title on Wednesday for its first gold medal in the sport at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
The quartet of Choi Min-jeong, Kim Gil-li, Shim Suk-hee and Noh Do-hee finished first in the women's 3,000-meter short track relay, ahead of Italy and Canada at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan.
This was South Korea's second gold medal of this year's Winter Games, and its seventh medal overall.
South Korea came into Wednesday with one silver and two bronze medals in short track, a letdown by the lofty standards of the longtime short track powerhouse.
With the latest victory, South Korea continues to lead the all-time short track medal race with 27 gold medals and 57 medals in total.
This was Choi's sixth career medal, tying her with three others for the most Olympic medals by a South Korean athlete, winter or summer. Former archer Kim Soo-nyung, retired shooter Jin Jong-oh and speed skater Lee Seung-hoon also won six medals apiece.
With her fourth gold, Choi has also drawn level with former short tracker Chun Lee-kyung for the most Winter Games gold medals by a South Korean athlete.
Shim now has three Olympic gold medals, all of them coming in the 3,000m relay. Kim and Noh each won their first gold medals, with Kim having earlier grabbed bronze in the women's 1,000m in Milan. Lee So-yeon, who competed in the relay semifinals, was also awarded the gold medal, the first of her career.
The final day of short track races will be Friday, with the women's 1,500m and the men's 5,000m relay on tap. South Korea is in the relay final, and Choi will try to win her third straight gold medal in the 1,500m.
Choi led off the 27-lap race on Wednesday and immediately took the lead position. Canada quickly took over, and then with 20 laps left, it was Canada-Netherlands-South Korea.
With 16 laps remaining, though, Michelle Velzeboer of the Netherlands hit the blade of a Canadian skater's skate and fell, nearly taking down Choi with her. Choi managed to stay on her feet, with Canada and Italy ahead of South Korea at that point.
Canada maintained a sizable lead but with five laps remaining, a Canadian skater lost her balance and nearly fell, allowing Italy to take over first place.
On the next lap, Shim pushed Choi into second place, ahead of Canada and behind only Italy.
Choi stayed there before making one final exchange with the team's anchor, Kim. And with two laps remaining, Kim powered past the Italian veteran Arianna Fontana and crossed the line first for South Korea's first women's relay gold in eight years.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
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