Seoul: South Korea failed to grab a medal on the first day of medal races at the third International Skating Union (ISU) Short Track World Tour stop of the season in Poland. Olympic champion Choi Min-jeong finished last among the six finalists in the women's 1,000 meters at the Hala Olivia arena, while two other South Koreans, Kim Gil-li and Noh Do-hee, were eliminated in the quarterfinals.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim, Noh, Shim Suk-hee, and Lee So-yeon crossed the finish line first in the semifinals of the women's 3,000m relay but were disqualified for pushing an Italian skater during the race. Penalties also affected South Korean male skaters. Rim Jong-un was disqualified in the quarterfinals of the men's 500m, while Hwang Dae-heon suffered the same fate in the semifinals of the men's 1,500m. Rim couldn't advance beyond the semifinals in the 1,500m. In a positive development for South Korea, the men's 5,000m relay team of Rim, Lee June-seo, Shin Dong-min, and Lee Jeong-min reached the final scheduled for Sunday.
Quota places for the nine short track events at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games will be determined based on the results at the four World Tour competitions. The three best results out of four ISU World Tour stops will be considered for Olympic quota places in the following races: the men's and women's 500m, 1,000m and 1,500m; the men's 5,000m relay; the women's 3,000m relay; and the mixed 2,000m relay.
There are 32 quota places available in the 500m and 1,000m, and 36 quota places for the 1,500m. The men's and women's relays will offer eight quota places, and the mixed relay event will have 12 quota places. Each country can earn a maximum of three quota places per individual event and one quota place per relay event. Teams can register three men and three women for individual races, and four men and four women for the relays. For the mixed relay, countries that have at least two male and two female skaters already qualified in individual races will be given priority.
South Korea leads the all-time Olympic short track medal table with 26 gold medals and 53 medals overall. After two World Cup competitions, no South Korean skater leads the standings in individual events, while its women's team is at the top with 180 points due to a gold and a silver.