Seoul, Korea

#ShortTrackSkating

Park Ji Won (KOR) sent the Seoul crowd into raptures with a second World title of the weekend as Lin Xiaojun (CHN) completed a special comeback on his home ice on the final day of the KB Financial Group ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships.

After securing the 1500m Men's World title on Saturday, Park reigned supreme on the biggest stage yet again to claim gold in the 1000m on the closing day of the championships.

The local hero sparked scenes of jubilation among the home fans in attendance at the Mokdong Ice Rink in Seoul, Republic of Korea on Sunday.

Park demonstrated a burst of energy and some fine tactical awareness to beat Stijn Desmet (BEL) into second, with Steven Dubois (CAN) taking third place.

Park Ji Won KOR

Park Ji Won (KOR) added 1000m gold to the 1500m World title he won on Saturday to send the Seoul crowd wild @ISU

The Seoul-born racer had worked his way into second place midway through the race, before executing a strong outside pass on Desmet with three laps remaining and then turning on the jets to convincingly secure the top spot.

“I made a promise that I was going to win gold in this distance and so I did. I’m really happy I could live up to my own words,” Park said.

“I’m the best out there and I’ll try to keep this status for a long time. I know the king’s crown weighs heavy, but I’m going to take on this burden and continue to race like nobody has ever done before.

“All the cheering and shouting from the fans has been so loud this weekend. I couldn’t hear anything during the races. But I’m very happy I could make them feel this excited.”

Dubois passed Hong Kyung Hwan (KOR) in the exit of the final corner to bag bronze, his second individual medal this weekend after grabbing silver in the 500m on Saturday.

Men's 1000m podium

Stijn Desmet (BEL), left, took silver and Steven Dubois (CAN), right, bagged bronze with an overtake on the final corner @ISU

“I’m super happy with my performances. I knew I felt good coming in here, but I didn’t know I was going to be that consistent. It proves that I’m at the top of my level,” Dubois said.

“I knew the Koreans were going to be aggressive. I really wanted to win this one, but I didn’t put myself in the best position towards the end of the race. Overall I’m really proud to get another medal here.”

Lin completes special comeback with World title in Men's Relay

The last event of the men's competition was an absolute thriller with China coming out on top to win the World title in the 5000m Relay. Italy fought hard to get silver, while the Korean hosts claimed bronze.

The Chinese victory also put a full stop behind another memorable story of the season, as Lin Xiaojun anchored his team to glory on what for him was home soil.

When competing for Korea, Lin won 1500m Olympic gold at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games, and was World Champion in that distance, in the 1000m, in the 5000m Relay, and overall the following season.

He left the Korean team in 2020, however, and went through the process of gaining Chinese citizenship.

Finally cleared to skate for China in 2022, he won gold in the 500m at the concluding two World Cups this season, and the 26-year-old now added another World title to his tally at the venue he used to call home.

China Men's Relay team

After disqualification in the 500m, Lin Xiaojun (CHN), centre, anchored his China team to gold in the 5000m relay @ISU

“I came first in the 500m yesterday, but because I didn’t have a transponder on me, I was disqualified. That was really disappointing. Now I’m feeling extra happy that I could make it all up,” Lin said.

“It’s been a while since I’ve come back to Korea. I was very nervous at first, but the reception I got from all the fans here has been amazing. That gave me a lot of strength to compete here.

“I think my performances have really improved throughout the season. With this experience as well, I’ve gained more confidence and that’s what I’ll take away from this competition. I’ve still got a lot more to show.”

Orange is the new gold for Mixed Relay quartet

There also was also a first for powerhouse the Netherlands in Seoul, as the ‘Orange team’ won the inaugural World title in the Mixed Team Relay, beating Olympic champion China with Italy rounding off the podium.

The Chinese outlet has been the dominant force in the event but could not live up to the expectations against an incredibly strong Dutch team.

Saturday's individual gold medalists Suzanne Schulting and Xandra Velzeboer teamed up with Teun Boer and Jens van 't Wout to form the Dutch quartet. Van ‘t Wout turned up the pace with eight laps remaining and never looked back, coasting to an impressive victory.

The Netherlands Mixed Relay team

Called into the Dutch team 15 minutes before the final, Teun Boer, left, was soon celebrating gold with Van ‘t Wout, Velzeboer and Schulting @ISU

Shortly after the race, Boer admitted he had gone through a whirlwind of emotions as he had only been told 15 minutes before the start of the Final A that he was going to take part.

“For me it’s all new and I’m not used to such kind of nerves. It was really intense,” Boer said.

“But when I was skating up front, I finally thought, ‘this is where we want to be’. I was then able to accelerate and fire away Jens [Van ‘t Wout] with my push.

“You just hope for the best, but I know he has that pace. He’s been one of the fastest skaters out here.

“It’s has been a very special debut at the World Championships. Especially when I got introduced to this race, I felt like it was going to be serious business.

“This season has been a roller-coaster ride for me and I’m just really happy to wrap it all up with a World title.”

Where to watch

Viewers can watch the KB Financial Group ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships via their national broadcaster/channel.

For countries where there are no broadcasters and for the qualification and repechage races, the ISU will offer a live stream on the Skating ISU YouTube Channel. You will find the full list on the Where to Watch webpage here.

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