The Milano Ice Skating Arena was buzzing with anticipation on February 16, 2026, as the short track speed skating men’s 500m heats unfolded at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics. For South Korea, a nation with a storied legacy in short track, expectations were sky-high. Yet, the day delivered a stunning twist: both Hwang Dae-heon and Im Jong-eon—the country’s medalists in other events—were eliminated in the opening rounds of the 500m, leaving fans and athletes alike reeling from the unexpected result.
From the moment the skaters took the ice, the competition was fierce and unpredictable. The men’s 500m is notorious for its breakneck speed and razor-thin margins, and this year’s Olympic heats were no exception. The chaos began early, with multiple collisions and dramatic falls across several heats, setting the stage for a day of upsets and heartbreaks.
Im Jong-eon, fresh off a bronze medal in the men’s 1000m earlier in the Games, lined up in the eighth and final heat alongside some formidable opponents. The drama started almost immediately: a collision with Great Britain’s Niall Tracy just after the start sent both skaters tumbling, forcing officials to call for a restart. The tension in the arena was palpable. On the second attempt, Im settled into third position, chasing hard behind Andrew Hu of the United States and Lin Shaojun of China. With every lap, Im looked for a window to overtake, but Lin held his line with steely determination. As the bell rang for the final lap, Im made a desperate move on the outside but lost his balance momentarily, losing precious speed. He crossed the finish line in third place with a time of 41.289 seconds—just shy of Lin’s 41.242. Only the top two from each heat, plus the four fastest third-place finishers, advanced to the quarterfinals. Im’s time, while valiant, wasn’t enough.
"I tried everything I could in the last two laps. After the restart, I knew my only chance was to push hard on the outside, but Lin didn’t give an inch," Im reflected after the race, visibly disappointed but determined to keep his focus for the remainder of the Games.
Hwang Dae-heon, a four-time Olympic medalist and one of Korea’s most decorated short track stars, faced his own battle in heat four. Assigned to a stacked lineup featuring China’s Liu Shaoang and Poland’s Felix Pijon, Hwang started in third and spent the entire race searching for an opening. The defending 2018 PyeongChang 500m silver medalist was relentless, probing the inside and outside lanes, but the front-runners’ defense was impeccable. As the field approached the finish, Hwang lunged desperately at the line. The photo finish told the story: Hwang clocked 41.191 seconds, a mere 0.012 seconds behind Pijon’s 41.179 for second place. It was heartbreakingly close—almost too close to believe.
"I gave it everything, especially in the final stretch. It’s tough to accept, but that’s short track. Sometimes the margins are so small, it feels unreal," Hwang said, his disappointment evident but his resolve unshaken.
The elimination of both Korean skaters in the 500m marks a rare setback for a nation that has long dominated the sport. Notably, South Korea also failed to medal in this event at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. The men’s 500m continues to be a challenging distance for the team, despite their prowess in other short track events.
Elsewhere on the ice, the heats were a showcase of the sport’s unpredictable nature. In heat one, Canadian William Danguillaume—ranked number one in the 2025-2026 ISU World Tour—advanced after all other competitors crashed out, posting a time of 40.593 seconds. Italian Pietro Sigel survived a wild finish in heat two, crossing the line backward after a last-corner tangle. In heat seven, two-time Olympic champion Jens Pant Vaut of the Netherlands was the only skater to stay upright, as the rest of the field crashed behind him. Canadian Steven Dubois posted the fastest time of the day in heat three with 40.284 seconds. The carnage and chaos only underscored how treacherous and unpredictable the 500m can be at the Olympic level.
For Hwang Dae-heon, the result was especially bittersweet. The 27-year-old from Gangwon Province has built a legendary Olympic resume: a 500m silver at PyeongChang 2018, a 1500m gold and 5000m relay silver at Beijing 2022, and now a 1500m silver at Milano-Cortina. Yet, the 500m remains elusive. Im Jong-eon, meanwhile, had already made his mark at these Games with his 1000m bronze, but the 500m proved a step too far in the face of tough competition and cruel luck.
The Korean duo’s elimination means their focus now shifts to the men’s 5000m relay, where they’ll look to channel their disappointment into a strong team performance. Historically, the relay has been a source of pride for Korea, and both Hwang and Im will be determined to add to their country’s medal tally before the curtain falls on Milano-Cortina 2026.
Looking back, the 500m heats were a microcosm of short track’s wild unpredictability. The event’s lightning-fast pace, combined with tight racing and split-second decisions, often leaves even the best skaters at the mercy of fate. For Korea, the day was a reminder that in short track, nothing is guaranteed—even for the sport’s giants.
As the men’s 5000m relay approaches, all eyes will be on Hwang Dae-heon, Im Jong-eon, and their teammates. If there’s one thing short track fans know, it’s that redemption can come quickly—and with the Korean squad’s pedigree, no one is counting them out just yet.
The disappointment of the men’s 500m will linger, but the Games are far from over. For Korea’s short track stars, the next race is always a new opportunity.