Hwang, Lim Crash Out of 500m Heats as Korea's Short Track Weakness Exposed

South Korean short track speed skaters Hwang Dae-heon (Gangwon Provincial Office) and Lim Jong-eon (Goyang City Hall) saw their medal hopes dashed after failing to advance past the men's 500m heats at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

Hwang, the silver medalist in the men's 1500m at this Games, finished third in Heat 4 with a time of 41.191 seconds at the Milan Ice Skating Arena on Friday. His placement fell short of qualification, which required a top-two finish in each heat or being among the four fastest third-place finishers across all eight heats.

Starting in third position, Hwang attempted to overtake Poland's Felix Pigeon on the inside with two laps remaining but failed to execute the pass. He lost speed and crossed the finish line in third.

Lim, the bronze medalist in the men's 1000m, also endured a disappointing race. Starting from Lane 3, Lim collided with Niall Treacy of the United States and fell, prompting a restart. In the resumed race, he again started in third position.

Trailing Andrew Heo (United States) and Lin Xiaojun (China, formerly known as Lim Hyo-jun in Korea), Lim sought an opening and swung wide on the final lap to attempt an overtake. However, he hesitated mid-race and failed to pass Lin, finishing third in his heat with a time of 41.289 seconds.

Three skaters received advances in the day's competition, eliminating any chance for Hwang and Lim to reach the quarterfinals through alternative qualification.

South Korea has now failed to medal in the men's 500m for the second consecutive Winter Olympics, following the 2022 Beijing Games.

The men's 500m remains a weak event for Korean short track, with only Hwang and Lim securing berths for this competition. Korea's sole Olympic gold medal in the men's 500m came from Chae Ji-hoon at the 1994 Lillehammer Games. The men's 500m medal races are scheduled for February 19.