Short tracker Kim Gil-li takes bronze in women’s 1,000m

Korea 24 News

MILAN, Feb. 16 (Yonhap) — Short track speed skater Kim Gil-li captured the bronze medal in the women’s 1,000 meters at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on Monday for South Korea’s sixth medal here in northern Italy.

Kim, 21, finished third behind Xandra Velzeboer of the Netherlands and Courtney Sarault of Canada at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan. This was South Korea’s third short track medal in Milan, following Rim Jong-un’s bronze in the men’s 1,000m and Hwang Dae-heon’s silver in the men’s 1,500m.

This was Kim’s first career Olympic medal.

South Korea has now won 56 medals so far in Olympic short track speed skating, more than any other country.

Kim started the nine-lap race in the back, with Sarault trying to set the tone early in the lead position and Italian veteran Arianna Fontana closely trailing her.

It was Sarault-Velzeboer-Fontanta midway through, before Kim sprinted into third place with four laps remaining.

Then with two laps left, Kim made a quick inside pass on Velzeboer and Sarault to briefly take the lead, only to see both skaters move ahead of her for good. Kim eventually ran out of ice and crossed the line in third place.

Earlier Monday, another South Korean skater, Choi Min-jeong, had dropped to the consolation Final B after finishing fourth in her semifinal heat. Choi, who finished third in Final B, is still seeking her first medal in Milan. Yonhapnews