Harbin: South Korea flexed its muscles in short track speed skating on Saturday, grabbing four out of five gold medals at stake and nine medals overall on the first day of medal competition at the Asian Winter Games in China. When the fireworks ended, Kim Gil-li, Park Ji-won and Choi Min-jeong all emerged as double gold medalists at Heilongjiang Ice Events Training Center Multifunctional Hall in the northeastern city of Harbin.
According to Yonhap News Agency, for South Korea, the day began with the gold medal in the mixed 2,000-meter relay, with Kim and Park teaming up with Choi Min-jeong and Kim Tae-sung for the inaugural Winter Asiad gold in the mixed event. It was also South Korea's very first medal in any sport in Harbin. Kim Gil-li then picked up her second gold medal of the day in the women's 1,500m.
Moments later, Park joined Kim as the double gold medalist by winning the men's 1,500m title. His teammate Jang Sung-woo got the bronze. Choi then led a historic podium sweep for South Korea in the women's 500m, taking the gold medal ahead of Kim Gil-li and Lee So-yeon. Choi became the first South Korean to win the women's 500m title at an Asian Winter Games, while denying Kim her third gold of the day.
Park also fell short of his third gold of Saturday in the men's 500m final, where Lin Xiaojun of China -- born Lim Hyo-jun in South Korea -- got the gold. Jang grabbed his second bronze medal of the day. In the mixed relay, skaters who had competed in the quarterfinals and the semifinals but not in the final will still receive their gold medals. That group includes Noh Do-hee and Shim Suk-hee on the women's side and Kim Gun-woo and Jang on the men's side.
Park expressed more satisfaction with the mixed relay gold medal than his other medals from Saturday because, "It took a complete team effort." "I was also surprised to win silver in the 500m," Park stated. "I've not been great in the 500m so far and I think I was able to take a step forward at this competition."
Before Harbin, Kim Gil-li had confidently declared her goal was to win five gold medals. After coming up short in the 500m, Kim will end up with no more than four gold medals -- not that she was complaining. "I am happy to have won the 1,500m gold medal because it was the race I wanted to win the most," Kim said. "I was worried about the 500m and it was great to be on the podium with my two teammates. Seeing three of our national flags being raised during the medal ceremony got my heart pumping."
As for her foiled bid for five gold medals, "It's okay, because I won gold medals in the 1,500m and the mixed relay today. I'd love to add a gold in the 3,000m relay tomorrow." Choi, a three-time Olympic champion, said she had prepared particularly hard for the 500m, knowing South Korea's long struggles in the event.
Choi, who excels in the 1,000m and 1,500m, didn't even make it to the 500m final at the previous Asian Games in 2017. China had won the past seven consecutive gold medals in the women's 500m before Choi ended that streak. "I wanted to win gold in the 500m more than anything and I am happy with such a great result," Choi said. "I am also proud of erasing the disappointment from eight years ago."
The short track competition will wrap up Sunday with the four remaining finals: the women's and men's 1,000m, the women's 3,000m relay and the men's 5,000m relay. South Korea arrived in Harbin with a goal of winning six out of nine gold medals in short track.