PYEONGCHANG: Teenage speed skater Cheyenne Goh missed out on a semi-final spot at the short-track 1,500m event on Saturday (Feb 17), as she made history by becoming the first Singaporean ever to compete in the Winter Olympic Games.

Goh clocked 2:36.971s​​​​​​​ at the Gangneung Ice Arena in Pyeongchang, South Korea to finish fifth out of six competitors in her heat.



Netherland’s Suzanne Schulting, Australia’s Deanna Lockett and Great Britain’s Charlotte Gilmartin finished first, second and third respectively.



Short-track speed skating involves skaters racing one another around an oval track that has a circumference of 111.12m, on a 60m by 30m rink. Only the top three competitors in each heat qualify for the semi-finals.

Singapore Ice Skating Association president Mrs Sonja Chong, who was at the event with Goh's family, said it was "exhilarating and poignant" to see Goh at the starting line with the Singapore flag flying high in the arena.

"She’s definitely helped to write a bold new chapter for Singapore ice skating, and we look forward to nurturing more Singaporean Winter Olympians!”



Last week, 18-year-old Goh told Channel NewsAsia that she did not expect to qualify for the Olympics in 2018.

In February 2017, Goh became the first Singaporean female to compete at the Asian Winter Games in Japan. Six months later came her Southeast Asian Games debut in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where she won two silver medals (1,000m individual and 3,000m relay) and a bronze (500m individual).



The semi-final for the women short-track 1,500m event is scheduled to start at 8.13pm (7.13pm Singapore time) on Saturday.