Milan: South Korea missed out on a medal in short track speed skating's mixed team relay at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on Tuesday, crashing out of the semifinals following an on-ice collision. The quartet of Choi Min-jeong, Kim Gil-li, Rim Jong-un, and Hwang Dae-heon finished third in their group at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, with only the top two nations from the two groups moving on to the final.
According to Yonhap News Agency, with six laps remaining in the 18-lap, 2,000-meter race, Kim Gil-li got tripped up by Corinne Stoddard of the United States, who lost her balance and fell after briefly moving to the front. South Korea was in third place behind the U.S. and Canada at the time. Despite crossing the line in third place, the team settled for the consolation "B" final. A South Korean team official lodged an on-site protest for an "advancement" due to a U.S. penalty, but results remained unchanged.
The race referee has the discretion to advance a skater or team if they were fouled or blocked while in a strong position. However, the rule states that a team must be in at least second place at the time of any foul for advancement. With Kim in third place during the collision, South Korea accepted the decision. A team official noted that Kim was "a little sore" but is expected to compete in upcoming races.
Assistant coach Kim Min-jung shared that Kim Gil-li sustained a cut on her right arm and received treatment for bleeding. Further tests will address swelling in her right hand, but the skater is anticipated to compete in later events. The coach appealed the ruling, believing Kim was at least level with Stoddard for second place during the collision. "The referee determined that we were in third place, and if we had pushed further, we could have been penalized," she explained.
Canada and Belgium advanced from South Korea's group, while Italy and China moved forward from the other group. In the "A" final, Italy secured the gold medal, holding off Canada in front of a home crowd, with Belgium taking the bronze. The Netherlands won the B final over South Korea, France, and the United States.
The mixed relay, featuring two female and two male skaters per team, debuted at the Olympics in 2022 in Beijing. South Korea had also crashed out in the quarterfinals then and did not achieve redemption this year. The short track competition in Milan will continue Thursday with the women's 500m and men's 1,000m quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals.