Winter Olympics: Fontana retains 500m short track title, extends medal record

BEIJING (REUTERS) - Italy's Arianna Fontana claimed a record-extending 10th Olympic medal in short track speed skating when she retained her title in the 500 metres event at the Beijing Winter Games on Monday (Feb 7).

Fontana, the most decorated short tracker in both the women's or men's events, now has two more medals than American Apolo Ohno and Russian Viktor Ahn.

She overtook second-placed Suzanne Schulting of the Netherlands on the final lap before screaming in delight as she crossed the line in 42.559 seconds. It was the Italian's second medal at this Games, after she helped her mixed team relay team to a silver on Saturday.

Canadian Kim Boutin, the world record holder, took the bronze medal - matching the bronze she won at the Pyeongchang Olympics in 2018.

China's Fan Kexin, the world No. 5 in the event, was knocked out in the quarter-finals, as well as South Korea's Choi Min-jeong, a two-gold Olympic champion who is more at ease on longer distances.

But the hosts fared better in the men's 1,000m, where Ren Ziwei led a Chinese one-two to take the gold medal in a chaotic finish at the Games on Monday.

Ren appeared to grab Hungarian Liu Shaolin as both threw their skates to the line in the tightest of finishes, but Liu, who crossed the line first, was then disqualified for making contact just a moment earlier in the race.

Ren, however, was not penalised in the official review after the event, and his compatriot Li Wenlong was promoted to second place. Liu Shaolin's brother, Liu Shaoang, took the bronze medal.

It is Ren's second gold medal at this Games after he won for China in the mixed team relay final on Saturday.