Britain’s Elise Christie beat South Korea’s world champion Choi Min-jeong to secure her first 1,500 metres success of the season at the International Skating Union (ISU) Short Track Speed Skating World Cup in Dresden in Germany.
Fresh from her European Championships success at the 2014 Olympic Games venue in Sochi, where she claimed the overall gold medal, Christie produced another fine display to edge Choi with a time of 2min 41.200sec.
Alang Kim, also of South Korea, came through to take the bronze medal.
Choi still leads the way in the overall standings for the 1,500m distance on 38,000 points, 2,000 more than compatriot Shim Suk-hee, silver medallist at Sochi 2014.
“I’m thrilled and shocked with the outcome for the 1,500m as this isn’t my strongest distance,” Christie said.
“That’s the first time in my career I’ve beat Choi Min-jeong; it won’t be the last.
“I’m really looking forward to tomorrow and the 500m and feel I’m in good form.”
In the men’s 1,500m, Jiwon Park led home a South Korean one-two, finishing in 2:22.020, pushing world 1,000m champion Park Se-young into silver medal position.
Dutchman Sjinkie Knegt extended his overall lead in the classification as he was third, moving further ahead of South Korean Kwak Yoon-gy with a total of 41,400 points.
Canada’s Marianne St-Gelais sealed the women’s 1,000m honours as she put in a confident performance, crossing the line in 1:30.717.
China’s Tao Jiaying was second and Hungarian Petra Jászapáti rounded off the podium, clinching bronze.
Choi retained her lead at the summit of the 1,000m leaderboard on 28,000 points.
The success for Canada continued in the men’s race as Charles Hamelin picked up his second win of the season in 1:25.676.
Russia’s Semion Elistratov, winner of three gold medals at the European Championships, had to settle for silver.
Another Canadian, Charle Cournoyer, looked to be in contention but faltered late on, slipping to third.
Elistratov remains the leader overall standings on 30,800 points, with Hamelin second on 25,120.
The ISU World Cup in Dresden is due to conclude tomorrow with the men’s and women’s 500m,1,500m and both relay events.
Italy, Russia, Hungary and Japan will battle it out for gold in the women’s 3,000m relay.
Canada, Russia, South Korea and the United States are due to compete in the final of the men’s 5,000m relay
- By Liam Morgan Republished with permission insidethegames.biz