South Korea claims short-track gold in men's 1,500, the host's first medal of the Games

Martin Rogers | USA TODAY

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GANGNEUNG, South Korea —The loudest venue of these Winter Olympics erupted into a wall of noise as South Korea clinched its first gold (and first medal of any color) of Pyeongchang 2018 in men’s short-track speedskating on Saturday night.

Lim Hyo Jun triumphed in the 1,500 meters at Gangneung Ice Arena to the delight of the capacity crowd, pushing Sjinkie Knegt of the Netherlands into second place. Bronze going to Semen Elistratov, an Olympic Athlete from Russia.

Short-track is one of South Korea’s most popular sports and is thought likely to represent the bulk of its medal haul from the Games.

“I felt the expectation of my country,” Lim said. “Having success in short-track is very important here. To win the first medal is very satisfying.”

It was the first time since 2006 that there was no American in the 1,500 final. J.R. Celski and John-Henry Krueger were disqualified in their semifinals, and Aaron Tran was eliminated at the same stage.