(LEAD) S. Korea picks up 2 titles to wrap up Short Track World Cup

(ATTN: CHNAGES headline, lead; UPDATES throughout with relay results; ADDS photos)

SEOUL, Nov. 19 (Yonhap) -- Host South Korea picked up two more gold medals to wrap up the International Skating Union (ISU) World Cup Short Track Speed Skating on Sunday.

Choi was crowned the women's 1,000 meters champion at Mokdong Ice Rink in Seoul on the last day of the competition. Then in the men's 5,000m relay, South Korea edged out the Netherlands for its first World Cup relay gold of the season.

Also on Sunday, Hwang Dae-heon won silver in the men's 1,000m, and the women's 3,000m relay team took home bronze.

Overall, South Korea finished with three gold, four silver and one bronze medals.

This was the final World Cup of the season and also the last qualifying event for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. And South Korea secured maximum spots in all races thanks to another strong World Cup season.

A total of 110 Olympic spots, 55 each for men and women, were up for grabs here, and quota places will be determined based on countries' results at World Cup races. The three best results out of four World Cups in each event were considered for Olympic qualification.

In the 500m and 1,000m for both men and women, 32 quota spots are up for grabs. In the 1,500m for both genders, the maximum is 36. And eight teams apiece will compete in the men's 5,000m relay and women's 3,000m relay.

As the Olympic host, South Korea was guaranteed five men and five women in all races at PyeongChang 2018, but with only one skater each in that scenario. And the long-time short track powerhouse made it all moot by sweeping up multiple World Cup medals on home ice.

South Korea leads all countries with 21 Olympic short track gold medals all-time.

In the women's 1,000m final, Choi defeated Kim Boutin of Canada for her second gold medal here this weekend. Choi had won the 1,500m gold medal along with silver in the 500m on Saturday.

Choi's teammate Shim Suk-hee finished fourth in the 1,000m after a collision with Elise Christie of Britain.

Later in the men's 1,000m final, Hwang Dae-heon earned silver for his second medal of the competition.

He finished just behind Shaolin Sandor Liu of Hungary in the final. On Saturday, Hwang won silver in the 1,500m.

The youngest member of the men's team at 18, Hwang was the only individual medalist among South Korena men.

The South Korean men's 5,000m relay team won gold in a thrilling finish. They battling the Dutch skaters for the top spot in the final stretch. South Korea opened a sizable lead before Lim Hyo-jun slipped on a corner to allow the Netherlands to close the gap, but held on to win the last race of the competition.

The South Korean women weren't so lucky in the 3,000m relay final.

South Korea was in the lead with 15 laps to go in the 27-lap race, but China snatched the lead with six laps remaining. Then Kim Ye-jin, trying to move out in front again, fell down following a collision with Guo Yihan of China.

South Korea was the last among four nations to cross the finish line, but moved up to bronze when China was disqualified.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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