Winter Olympics 2022 - Hwang Dae-heon emerges from stacked 1500m with gold, GB's Farrell Treacy ninth

Updated 09/02/2022 at 15:32 GMT

The South Korean, a four-time world champion, is now an Olympic champion after he avoided potential chaos from a 10-strong final to take victory, with Canada's Steven Dubois taking silver and Russian Semion Elistratov getting bronze. Treacy made the final thanks to disqualifications at his debut Games. Watch every moment of the Games on discovery+.

'There is your champion' - Hwang celebrates gold in 1500m in Beijing

Hwang Dae-heon avoided the potential chaos of a stacked 1500m short-track speed skating final to take his first Winter Olympic gold in Beijing, with Team GB's Farrell Treacy coming ninth.

The four-time world champion emerged victorious ahead of Canada's Steven Dubois and Russian Semion Elistratov.

Britain's Treacy raced a sensible semi-final to reach the medal race, albeit in fortuitous circumstances. The 26-year-old was in contention for most of the race and finished fifth - but he was elevated to third after Canada's Charles Hamelin and China's 1000m champion Ren Ziwei were disqualified for an infringement.

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A number of penalties meant that 10 athletes would compete in the final, which meant there was not only the potential for carnage - but there was also a slim hope of a medal for Treacy if luck went his way.

But the race was skated cleanly, with everyone staying on their feet, and the British skater found himself isolated at the back as a fierce battle was going on at the front.

Hwang came through strongest to take the win - his first Olympic gold and an upgrade on his 500m silver from PyeongChang 2018.

Team GB's Farrell Treacy found himself in a surprise 1500m final

Image credit: Getty Images

Canada's Dubois was one of the athletes who benefited from being put through by the judges, and he took full advantage to take silver ahead of Elistratov of the Russian Olympic Committee.

But reaching the final was a fine way for Treacy to end his Games, after he had an embarrassing debut when he finished his 1000m heat a lap too early - which he described as an "excruciating mistake".

Earlier, his British team-mate Kathryn Thomson was unable to progress from the 1000m heats.