1,500 metres, Men

The red-hot favorite in this event was An Hyeon-Su. After his compatriot Kim Dong-Seong had retired in 2002, An had become the dominant short track skater. He had won the overall title at the 2003, 2004 and 2005 World Championships, winning the 1,500 m on each occasion. With 2:10.639, the world record had also been in An’s hands since 2003.

One of An’s opponents, defending champion Apolo Anton Ohno, was surprisingly eliminated in the semi-finals. The Koreans expressed regret over this, as they wanted to take revenge for Ohno’s win in the event back in 1,500, when Kim Dong-Seong had been controversially disqualified in favor of Ohno. But the Koreans did not care much, as they easily won the competition. An won the race, while his compatriot Lee Ho-Seok finished second. Four-time Olympian Li Jiajun grabbed his fifth Olympic medal, placing third. Later in the Games, An and Lee would repeat their 1-2 finish in the 1,000 m.