BEIJING-- Short track speed skater Hwang Dae-heon was disqualified in the semifinals of the men's 500m race at Beijing 2022 on Sunday, coming up short in his bid for a second medal in China.

In the semifinal heat at Capital Indoor Stadium, Hwang was penalized following a late collision with another skater.

On the final corer of the 4 1/2-lap, Hwang was trying to move up from fourth place and cut inside on Steven Dubois of Canada but instead bumped into him before skidding into the padded wall.

The referee moved Dubois to the final, while Hwang was sent packing for making an "illegal late pass causing contact."

Hwang said he apologized to Dubois for the collision. Hwang added he wanted to at least give himself a chance to finish in the top two in his heat and reach the final.

"It didn't end up working in my favor, but I thought I'd rather try and fail than not try at all," Hwang said. "I have no regrets about this race."

Hwang won the 1,500m gold medal Wednesday and was trying to become the first South Korean champion of the men's 500m since Chae Ji-hoon in 1994.

No South Korean man has won a medal in this event at back-to-back Olympics.

Hwang will have one last chance to add a medal in the men's 5,000m relay final this Wednesday.

The last South Korean male short tracker to win at least two gold medals at a single Winter Olympics was Lee Jung-su at Vancouver 2010.

"My individual competition is over now, and my last objective here is to have one more great performance with my teammates," Hwang said. "I hope all of my teammates can take home a medal, too."

Source: Yonhap News Agency