500 metres, Women

Judging by performances since the last Olympics, South Korea’s Jeon I-Gyeong was favored for gold, having won the World Championships in 1995, 1996 and 1997, the latter event held at Nagano’s White Ring. Jeon did not win the 500 m there, the victory going to one of her chief rivals, Yang Yang (A) of China. Another feared opponent was Canada’s Isabelle Charest, who held the world record in the event, having set it at 44.867 during the 1997 World Championships.

Of these favorites, only Charest actually made the final. Yang Yang (A) was disqualified in the quarter-finals, and Jeon was outpaced in the semis. This left Charest as the overwhelming favorite, but she could not deliver. During the race, she hit her opponent Wang Chunlu’s skate, causing them both to fall. Charest was disqualified, while Wang stormed off the ice in anger, after failing to finish the race. This left only two racers, Annie Perreault, another Canadian, and Yang Yang (S). The two finished close, with Perreault securing a gold medal for Canada. Because there were only two ranked skaters in the final, the bronze medal went to the winner of the B Final. Jeon had won that race comfortably, giving her a consolation medal. It was the second time an Olympic short track medallist came from the B final, as this had earlier happened in the 1994 men’s 1000 m.