Rare occurrence! The Netherlands sets a record but finishes fifth, South Korea is even more unfortunate, and China’s mixed short track relay misses out on a medal.

On February 10th, Beijing time, the A final of the mixed-gender short track speed skating relay at the Milan Winter Olympics concluded with mixed emotions. The host nation Italy, led by 35-year-old veteran Fontana, defeated China to claim the gold medal, securing their second gold of the Games. China finished fourth, failing to reach the podium, while two top favorites, the Netherlands and South Korea, both missed out on the final altogether!

Both short track powerhouses, the Netherlands and South Korea, were expected to contend for gold but surprisingly fell in the semifinals due to crashes, missing the A final. However, the Netherlands posted a remarkable time of 2:35.537 in the B final, smashing the Olympic record in an astonishing performance. This time was even better than that of the gold-winning Italian team, making the Netherlands’ fifth-place finish a rare and remarkable sight at the Winter Olympics!

South Korea was even more unlucky. Aiming for the championship, they were taken down by the United States in the semifinals, missing out on the A final. Their protest to enter the A final was rejected, which was not surprising given that the appeal was against the US—a nearly impossible challenge!

Ultimately, four teams advanced to the A final: China, Italy, Canada, and Belgium, all competing for the gold medal. As the defending champion in this event, China naturally hoped to retain their title. Unfortunately, despite a strong start, they weakened in the latter stages due to insufficient strength and two critical mistakes, which caused them to lose ground rapidly and collapse to fourth place. Failing to stand on the top podium and defend their title was very disappointing. Hopefully, this loss won’t affect their future performances—just focus on doing their best. Keep fighting!

Written by / Sports Novel