500 metres, Women

Based on the results in the past four years, the favourite was Canada’s Sylvie Daigle. A two-time Olympian in speed skating, she had won the 1500 m in the 1988 Olympic demonstration tournament, and had since won the 1988, 1989 and 1990 World Championships, finishing runner-up in 1991 to compatriot Nathalie Lambert. In addition, Daigle had set a new World Record at the Olympic test event in Albertville. In Olympic competition, however, Daigle was eliminated in the first round after a clash with Cathy Turner. Fastest in the heats was Italy’s Marinella Canclini, whose 47.00 was inadvertently billed as a new World Record. But Canclini exited the tournament in the next round.

The final saw two winners from the 1988 demonstration events: Monique Velzeboer, who had won the 500 m and Li Yan, who had won the 1000 m in Calgary. Turner had watched the 1988 Olympics on television. She had been the American champion in 1979, but had quit to pursue a singing career. Working as a bar singer in Las Vegas, under the name “Nikki Newland”, and fighting to overcome clinical depression, the short track demonstration inspired her to return to the sport. Known as an aggressive skater, Turner fell in the first turn of the final, causing a re-start. The unheralded Hwang Ok-Sil took the lead in the second attempt, soon to be overtaken by Turner. She was still in front at the final stretch, but Li was approaching quickly in the final metres. The two touched skates, but Turner was able to push over the line first.

While in training for the 1994 Winter Olympics, fourth place finisher Monique Velzeboer crashed into an unprotected barrier at a French training track, and became a paraplegic. Working from a wheelchair, she has since become a noted freelance photographer.