#ShortTrackSkating #OneHandDown
Ziwei Ren (CHN) at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2019©International Skating Union (ISU)
For a moment at the 2019 ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, it looked like Ren Ziwei, the 22-year-old Chinese skater, was going to win one of the oddest gold medals in the sport since Steven Bradbury took the 2002 Olympic title in the men’s 1000m due to a pile-up.
Ziwei Ren (CHN) at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2019©International Skating Union (ISU)
Competing in the 500m final in Bulgaria, the race was full of curious incidents. Firstly, Shaolin Sandor Liu of Hungary had to exit the ice due to two false starts, leaving just Ren, his teammate Wu Dajing, and Hwang Dae Heon of Republic of Korea on the start line.
Wu Dajing (CHN) and Hwang Dae Heon (KOR) at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2019©International Skating Union (ISU)
But then Wu and Hwang crashed spectacularly going into a corner. During a long delay, it looked likely that injury and disqualification were going to lead to another restart – with only Ren involved in the race.
It wasn’t to be. After a lengthy consultation by the judges, all three men were allowed to go again. The injured Hwang got gold and Ren had to settle for bronze.
Wu Dajing (CHN) and Hwang Dae Heon (KOR) and Ziwei Ren (CHN) at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2019©International Skating Union (ISU)
Nevertheless, the podium finish was a highly satisfying conclusion to a season in which the young Chinese star has regularly been part of the battle for medals.
He has been on the radar of skating fans since 2016, when he was crowned overall ISU World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Champion thanks to his consistent, tactically astute racing – and he grabbed ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating gold in Shanghai that season, too.
Yongjin Lim (KOR) Ziwei Ren (CHN) Wei Ma (CHN) at the ISU World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2016©International Skating Union (ISU)
More major honors followed: Ren took part in the 5000m Relay unit that won silver at the 2017 ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships, then repeated the feat at the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
Ziwei Ren (CHN) at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2017©Getty Images
At the 2018 ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships, he took silver in the 500m, while last season he got a silver in the 1000m at Salt Lake City, and a bronze in the same distance in Calgary.
Ziwei Ren (CHN) at the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating (CAN) 2018©International Skating Union (ISU)
Ren finished the 2018/19 season ranked the fourth-best 1000m skater, 10th in the 500m, and 11th overall. All in all, things are coming together nicely for Ren’s ultimate target: a medal at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, in his hometown of Beijing.
Ziwei Ren (CHN) at the Olympic Winter Games 2018©Getty Images
