Choi Min-jeong of Seongnam City Hall delivered a commanding performance, securing second place in heat six of the women’s 500m short track speed skating preliminary round at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
Race Breakdown at Milano Ice Skating Arena
On February 10 at the Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, Choi clocked an impressive 43.204 seconds to advance. She competed alongside Hanne Desmet of Belgium, Julie Rutai of the United States, and Yelizaveta Sidorko of Ukraine.
Choi started conservatively before surging forward. She overtook Desmet to seize the lead, quickly dominating the pace and maintaining a steady advantage with precise positioning.
Final Lap Drama
In the closing stages, Choi pushed with maximum acceleration on the inside line to hold her position. Desmet countered aggressively, blocking the inner path and launching a fierce chase. Choi adapted swiftly, switching to the outside and fending off the challenge to cross the line in second.
This strong prelim result propels Choi into the 500m main competition. The women’s short track 500m schedule intensifies on February 12 with quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals all set for the same day.
