MONTREAL — Shim Suk Hee of South Korea won gold and Canada’s Valerie Maltais took the bronze medal in the women’s 1,000-metre race Sunday at the world short track speed skating championship.
However, Canada’s top skater Charles Hamelin saw his chances for a first overall world championship title compromised when he was disqualified from a men’s 1,000-metre semifinal for obstruction.
Five-time overall world champion Victor An of Russia won the men’s race ahead of Sjinkie Knegt of the Netherlands and Park Se Yeong of South Korea.
Shim, a bronze medallist in the event three weeks ago at the Sochi Olympics, led South Korea to a one-two finish as she came in ahead of Park Seung-Hi. It was Shim’s second gold of the meet to go with her 1,500-metres win on Friday.
Maltais, of La Baie, Que., edged Britain’s Elise Christie for third place. Christie led early but was forced to cut well inside the track by Shim and dropped back. No foul was called.
"That early on in the race it’s not a very sportsmanlike thing to do, but she did it and she got a medal for it," said Christie, who was penalized three times in Sochi for fouls. "It worked for her and unfortunatelty it didn’t work for me."
Hamelin was penalized when he tried to pass China’s Shi Jingnan on the inside and lost balance, sending Shi and American Chris Creavling sprawling into the padded rink walls.
Hamelin’s last shot at the title will come later Sunday in the 3,000-metres. He won the 1,500 and took bronze in the 500-metre earlier in the three-day championship.
The relays are also later Sunday.
American J.R. Celski looked to have a spot in the final locked up, but was eliminated when Knegt thrust a skate forward and beat him by two-1,000ths of a second.
"It sucks, but it was a good race," said Celski.