Montreal: Teenager Rim Jong-un has concluded his inaugural International Skating Union (ISU) Short Track World Tour competition by leading South Korea to victory in the men’s relay event in Canada. Rim, along with teammates Hwang Dae-heon, Lee June-seo, and Shin Dong-min, captured the men’s 5,000-meter relay gold medal at the first World Tour stop of the season held at Maurice Richard Arena in Montreal. The South Korean team recorded a time of 6:50.781, narrowly defeating China, which finished in 6:51.160.
According to Yonhap News Agency, this marked Rim’s second gold medal at the event, following his triumph in the men’s 1,500m race during his World Tour debut. The 17-year-old, who secured a spot on the national team after winning the trials in April, also earned a silver medal in the men’s 1,000m, finishing behind Italy’s Pietro Sighel.
Rim participated in the mixed 2,000m relay with Choi Min-jeong, Kim Gil-li, and Lee Jeong-min. Although the South Korean team initially finished second, they were disqualified in the final. Kim Gil-li added to South Korea’s medal tally by securing second place in the women’s 1,500m, her second silver of the competition after her performance in the 1,000m.
This event in Montreal is the first of four ISU World Tour competitions scheduled for the fall. Performance in these events will determine qualification for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in various distances and relay categories. A total of 32 quota places are available for the 500m and 1,000m events and 36 for the 1,500m. Relay events will offer eight quota places for both men’s and women’s categories and 12 for the mixed relay.
Each country can secure up to three quota spots per individual event and one per relay event. Teams can register three men and three women for individual races, and four each for the relays. Priority for the mixed relay will be given to countries with at least two qualified male and female skaters in individual events.
South Korea, a leader in the Olympic short track medal standings with 26 gold and 53 total medals, aims to maximize its quota spots for future Olympics, having previously fallen short in the 2014 Sochi and 2022 Beijing Winter Games.