Short-track speed skater Hwang Dae-heon is Korea's first gold medalist at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
In the men's 1,500-m race on Feb. 9, Hwang took first place with a time of 2:09.219 at Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, defeating runner-up Steven Dubois of Canada by 0.035 seconds.
The final saw 10 competitors after four advanced from the semifinals.
Hwang brought up the rear early in the race but accelerated to take the lead over the remaining nine laps.
This was Hwang's first Olympic gold. He won the silver in the men's 500-m race in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
Compatriots Lee June-seo (Korea National Sport University) finished fifth with a time of 2:09.622 and Park Jang-hyuk (Sports Toto) seventh with 2:10.176.
President Moon Jae-in later that day sent a telegram to Hwang congratulating Hwang's victory, saying, "Hwang's overwhelming talent clinched Korea's first gold medal, which no one can take away."
"This great achievement has wiped away the injustice of the 1,000-m event."
At the same venue on Feb. 7, Hwang was disqualified in the semifinals of the 1,000-m race after defeating two Chinese skaters for first due to a controversial officiating decision.
President Moon said, "The fearless youngest member of Team Korea in PyeongChang 2018 is now the ace of the Beijing Games," adding, "He showed not only his superior speed and quickness but also skills in race management."
The president said he truly thanked Hwang for reaffirming Korea as a global power in short track, adding, "Your dazzling performance today will remain in our hearts for a long time."
