Choi Min-jung and Jang Sung-woo Win Gold at Harbin Asian Games
Kim Gil-li and Park Ji-won Take Silver Medals
The South Korean short track team swept the gold and silver medals in the men's and women's 1000m short track events at the 2025 Harbin Winter Asian Games.
Choi Min-jung won the gold medal in the women's 1000m, becoming the first triple gold medalist for the Korean delegation at the Games. In the men's 1000m, Jang Sung-woo surprised everyone by winning the gold medal, becoming a two-time champion at the event. Park Ji-won, a strong favorite for the title, took silver behind Jang Sung-woo, and Kim Gil-li also won silver in the women's 1000m.
On the 9th (local time), Choi Min-jung claimed the gold medal in the women's 1000m short track at the 2025 Harbin Winter Asian Games held at the Heilongjiang Ice Training Center Multipurpose Hall in Harbin, China, setting a new Asian Games record with a time of 1 minute 29.637 seconds.
Choi Min-jeong (left) and Kim Gilli are celebrating while draped in the Taegeukgi flag, circling the arena after winning gold and silver medals respectively in the women's 1000m short track final at the Harbin Winter Asian Games held on the 9th at the Heilongjiang Ice Training Center Multipurpose Hall in Harbin, China. Photo by Yonhap News
The final featured three Korean athletes?Choi Min-jung, Shim Seok-hee, and Kim Gil-li?competing against China's Zhang Chutong and Kazakhstan's Malika Yermek. The starting order placed the three Korean skaters?Choi Min-jung, Shim Seok-hee, and Kim Gil-li?on the inside lanes.
The three Korean skaters took the lead from the start, controlling the pace of the race. Zhang Chutong tried to disrupt the flow, but Choi Min-jung effectively blocked her by leading the race, ultimately securing the gold and silver medals comfortably. Zhang Chutong took the bronze, while Shim Seok-hee finished fourth.
Choi Min-jung earned her third gold medal of the Games, following her victories in the 500m and the mixed relay 2000m events the previous day.
In the men's 1000m final, Jang Sung-woo overtook senior teammate Park Ji-won to claim the gold medal.
The men's final featured two athletes each from South Korea and China. Jang Sung-woo and Park Ji-won competed against China's Liu Shaoang and Sun Long, as well as Japan's Matsuzu Shuta.
Sun Long and Liu Shaoang took the early lead. Jang Sung-woo inserted himself between them, disrupting their rhythm. Maintaining second place between Sun Long and Liu Shaoang, Jang Sung-woo cut inside with two and a half laps remaining, overtook Sun Long, and sprinted to cross the finish line first. Park Ji-won engaged in a fierce battle for second place with Sun Long with one and a half laps left. When half a lap remained, Sun Long fell, allowing Park Ji-won to finish second. Liu Shaoang took the bronze medal.
Jang Sung-woo (right) and Park Ji-won are celebrating wrapped in the Taegeukgi after winning gold and silver medals respectively in the men's 1000m short track final at the Harbin Winter Asian Games held on the 9th at the Heilongjiang Ice Training Center Multipurpose Hall in Harbin, China. Photo by Yonhap News
Jang Sung-woo recorded a time of 1 minute 28.304 seconds, while Park Ji-won finished in 1 minute 28.829 seconds. With this gold medal, Jang Sung-woo earned his sixth short track gold medal at the Games, becoming the 40th gold medalist in South Korea's history at the Winter Asian Games in short track.
Jang Sung-woo became a two-time champion at the Games, following his victory in the mixed relay 2000m event.
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