South Korea’s women’s short track team will return to the ice in the 1,500 meters, aiming for another gold at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics.
The quarterfinal heat draws were announced on Feb. 19 (Korea time).
Kim Gil-li, who won bronze in the women’s 1,000 and gold in the 3,000 relay, was placed in Heat 1. She will race Canada’s veteran Kim Boutin, the Netherlands’ Michelle Velzeboer, China’s Zhang Chutong, Croatia’s Valentina Aščić and Poland’s Natalia Maliszewska. The main rival in the heat is the 31-year-old Boutin, who took bronze in the 3,000 relay final and will face Kim for a second straight event.
Choi Min-jeong, who won gold in the women’s 3,000 relay to claim her fourth career Olympic gold and draw level with short track great Jeon I-kyeong, will skate in Heat 3. The heat includes Italy’s Arianna Sighel, who won silver in the relay a day earlier, and Belgium’s Tineke Den Dulk, a mixed relay bronze medalist.
Noh Do-hee was drawn into Heat 6, which includes Italian star Arianna Fontana. Fontana added relay silver a day earlier, bringing her Olympic total to 14 medals (three gold, six silver and five bronze) across her sixth Games, making her Italy’s most decorated Olympian. Belgium’s Hanne Desmet and American Kristen Santos-Griswold were also listed as key skaters in the heat.
South Korea’s women’s 1,500 races are scheduled for early Feb. 21 (Korea time).
* This article has been translated by AI.
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