Speed skater Liu wins Hungary’s first individual gold

Liu Shaoang won the short track speed skating men’s 500 metres gold medal at the Beijing Olympics to give Hungary its first individual title at a Winter Games on Sunday.

Liu, who had already claimed bronze in the mixed team relay and the 1,000m, led a clean race from start to finish to beat Konstantin Ivliev of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) after the other main favourites failed to make it to the final.

Canada’s Steven Dubois claimed the bronze, his second medal after finishing second in the 1,500 metres.

Hungary’s only other gold medal at a Winter Olympics came in 2018, when they won the men’s 5,000 metres relay in short track speed skating. The country now has 10 Winter Games medals.

Defending champion Wu Dajing was the top favourite at the Capital Indoor Stadium, but he was knocked out in the semi-finals. (Reuters)