South Korea wins gold in women's 3,000-meter relay in short track speedskating

MILAN — South Korea recovered to edge out Italy to win the women’s 3,000-meter relay on Wednesday and earn its first short track speedskating gold at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

The team of Minjeong Choi, Gilli Kimm, Sukhee Shim and Dohee Noh won in a time of 4 minutes and 4.014 seconds, beating Italy and Canada. Choi was part of the team that won silver in Beijing four years ago.

It was nevertheless a 14th Olympic medal for Italy’s Arianna Fontana at her sixth Winter Games to beat fencer Edoardo Mangiarotti’s record for most Olympic medals by an Italian athlete — a mark that has stood since 1960.

Fontana was already the most decorated short track speedskater of all time.

There was disappointment for the Netherlands as one of its skaters fell with 16 laps remaining. South Korea was slowed down by the crash but there was enough distance left for the team to recover.

The considerable contingent of orange-clad Dutch fans could be cheered up shortly as Jens van ’t Wout, who has won both the men’s events so far, will aim to make it three out of three in the 500 meters.

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