Canada wins men's short track speed skating relay at Beijing 2022

Pascal Dion (front L) and Charles Hamelin (front R) of Canada celebrate after Team Canada won the gold medal in the men's 5,000m relay final of short track speed skating at Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)

BEIJING, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Canada claimed the men's 5,000m short track speed skating relay gold, while Choi Min-jeong of South Korea defended her title in the women's 1,500m at the Beijing Winter Olympics here on Wednesday.

Led by five-time Olympian Charles Hamelin, Canada won the relay race in six minutes and 41.257 seconds.

"I just think if you put the work in, anything is possible. Finishing on top of the podium with these guys, it is living your dream," said the 37-year-old Hamelin, who broke his own record as the oldest male short track speed skater to win an Olympic medal.

South Korea took the silver in 6:41.679, while Italy bagged the bronze in 6:43.431.

China's quartet of Wu Dajing, Ren Ziwei, Sun Long and Li Wenlong was in third place when Sun fell on the ground with 11 laps to go. Ren caught up afterward, but was unable to make up for the gap as China finished fifth.

"Five teams, 20 skaters, it was quite chaotic. Maybe he was too focused or he wanted to accelerate his speed so badly," said two-time gold medalist Wu about Sun's falling.

"My teammates are competing in their first Olympics, and they need time to grow stronger. They are in their 20s, or even under 20, so they still have chances," added Wu.

Reigning champion Choi came out the winner in the women's 1,500m in two minutes and 17.789 seconds, after renewing Olympic record time in 2:16.831 earlier in the semifinals.

Choi took the lead from China's Han Yutong with eight laps to go and kept it to the end.

Italian legend Arianna Fontana earned the silver in 2:17.862. It was her 11th career Olympic medal, further extending her record as the most decorated short track speed skater in history.

"The next [Winter] Olympics will be in Italy, and my first Olympics was in Italy as well, so there is a dream," the 31-year-old Fontana said of her future plan.

"It is a dream for now, so we'll see if it will become real or not," Fontana added.

The bronze went to Suzanne Schulting of the Netherlands in 2:17.865, her fourth medal at Beijing 2022. Schulting has won golds in the 1,000m and the 3,000m relay, and a silver in the 500m.

"I feel really proud. I think I did an amazing job on 1,000m," a tearful Schulting commented on her Beijing journey, adding that "we showed a really beautiful sport today."

The short track speed skating competition concluded with China capturing two golds, one silver and one bronze, one medal short of top-ranked South Korea. 

Charles Hamelin (L) and Pascal Dion of Canada celebrate after Team Canada won the gold medal in the men's 5,000m relay final of short track speed skating at Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)

Wu Dajing (front) of China reacts after the men's 5,000m relay final of short track speed skating at Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)

Pascal Dion (L) and Charles Hamelin of Canada celebrate after Team Canada won the gold medal in the men's 5,000m relay final of short track speed skating at Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)

Wu Dajing (R) of China competes during the men's 5,000m relay final of short track speed skating at Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Chen Jianli)

Hwang Daeheon (2nd L) of South Korea competes during the men's 5,000m relay final of short track speed skating at Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)

Medalists take selfies during the flower ceremony of the men's 5,000m relay final of short track speed skating at Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)