S. Koreans Dominate! World Tour Finals See Shocking Upsets?!

South Korean speed skaters are making a statement at the final ISU Short Track World Tour event in Dordrecht, Netherlands. With the 2026 Winter Olympics looming, these athletes are fiercely competing for those all-important quota spots. It's a pressure cooker environment, and the Koreans are handling it well, at least so far.

S. Koreans Dominate! World Tour Finals See Shockin...

The men have started particularly strong. In the 1,500 meters, all three South Korean entrants – Rim Jong-un, Shin Dong-min, and Lee Jeong-min – successfully navigated the heats and are heading to the semifinals. Rim Jong-un even snagged a first-place finish in his heat. That's the kind of performance that builds momentum. Meanwhile, in the always-thrilling 500m sprint, Rim is joined by Hwang Dae-heon in advancing to the quarterfinals. It's shaping up to be a promising event for the men's team.

The women's side had a bit of a hiccup, but showed resilience. Three-time Olympic champion Choi Min-jeong, a name synonymous with South Korean short track success, found herself relegated to the repechage in the 1,000m after finishing third in her initial heat. No problem though - true champions bounce back. Choi powered through the repechage quarterfinals, securing a spot in the repechage semifinals. Her teammates, Kim Gil-li and Noh Do-hee, took a more direct route, advancing straight to the quarterfinals. The depth of talent on the women's team is really impressive.

Team events are also looking good. Both the women's 3,000m relay team and the mixed 2,000m relay team have qualified for the semifinals. The women's team consists of Noh, Seo Whi-min, Lee So-yeon and Shim Suk-hee, while the mixed relay features Noh, Rim, Lee So-yeon and Lee Jeong-min. These relays are always a nail-biting affair, and South Korea has a rich history of success in them, so expectations are high.

The stakes are undeniably high. The results from these World Tour competitions will determine the allocation of quota places for the nine short track events at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games. While the individual races offer 32-36 quota places depending on the distance, and the relays offer 8-12, each country is limited to a maximum of three quota places per individual event and one per relay. South Korea, with its dominant history in short track (26 Olympic golds!), clearly aims to maximize its representation. They’re well positioned, but the competition is fierce and there’s still plenty of ice to be skated.