Hwang Daeheon, Chasing Back-to-Back 1500m Titles, Reaches Final...Shin Dongmin Joins Him

Hwang Daeheon, who is aiming for back-to-back gold medals in the men's 1500m short track at the Winter Olympics, advanced to the final at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Shin Dongmin also secured a place in the final.

On the 15th, at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, Hwang Daeheon finished second in Heat 1 of the men's 1500m short-track preliminary at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, advancing to the final.

Hwang Daeheon is trailing Danjinu William (Canada) and Miyata Shogo (Japan) in Heat 1 of the men's 1500m short track preliminary at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics held on the 15th at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Italy. Photo by Yonhap News

Seven skaters, including Hwang Daeheon, competed in Heat 1. Hwang waited for his chance from the back of the pack. He stayed in sixth place for a long stretch, and even after Liu Shaoang, who had been last, surged forward, he did not rush. Sitting in seventh, Hwang increased his speed with four laps to go and crossed the finish line third behind William Danjinu (Canada) and Miyata Shogo (Japan). His time was 2 minutes 15.83 seconds.

After video review, Miyata Shogo, who had finished second, was disqualified for an illegal lane change, and Hwang Daeheon, who had crossed the line third, was upgraded to second in the heat. Liu Shaoang, who fell due to Miyata Shogo's foul, received an advance and qualified for the final.

Shin Dongmin advanced to the final by finishing second in the last heat, Heat 3. Unlike Hwang Daeheon, Shin contested the lead group from the start. After the midpoint he dropped to mid-pack and at one point slipped to fifth, but when Felix Pijon (Poland) fell during the race, Shin was running fourth going into the final lap. On the last lap, Felix Russell (Canada) and Roberts Kruzbergs (Latvia), who were in second and third, tangled and fell, allowing Shin to cross the finish line second and clinch his place in the final. His time was 2 minutes 17.192 seconds.