South Korea captured the first gold medal of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeastern China’s Heilongjiang Province, on Saturday morning. The South Korean team triumphed in the short-track speed skating 2,000-meter mixed relay final, edging out Kazakhstan and Japan.
Comprising Kim Gil-li, Choi Min-jeong, Park Ji-won, and Kim Tae-sung, the South Korean squad finished the race in 2 minutes and 41.534 seconds. Kim Tae-sung surged ahead in the final two laps to secure the victory. Kazakhstan claimed the silver with a time of 2:42.258, while Japan took bronze, finishing in 2:44.058.
Host nation China, who were favored to win the event, faced a dramatic turn when skater Lin Xiaojun crashed in the second-to-last lap. The mishap dashed their hopes for a medal, and they concluded the race in fourth place.
