Korean Olympic champion claims 3rd world overall title in short track

Olympic double gold medalist Choi Min-jeong has claimed her third career overall title at the short track world championships in Canada.

Choi was crowned the women's overall champion at the International Skating Union World Short Track Speed Skating Championships at Maurice Richard Arena in Montreal on Sunday (local time). After winning gold medals in the 500 meters and 1,500 meters on Saturday, Choi earned her third victory in the 3,000m superfinal and finished fourth in the 1,000m for a total of 110 points.

At world championships, the overall winners are determined based on points accumulated in three individual races -- 500m, 1,000m and 1,500m -- plus the 3,000m superfinal. Only those who earn points in the finals of the 500m, 1,000m and 1,500m were eligible for the 3,000m superfinal.

Skaters received 34 points for first place in each individual race, 21 for second place, 13 for third, eight for fourth and so forth.

Another South Korean, Shim Suk-hee, ended in second place overall with 63 points. The 2014 overall champion won gold in the 1,000m, silver in the 1,500m and fourth in the 3,000m superfinal.

Choi and Shim also teamed up for the 3,000m relay gold medal, as South Korea completed the title sweep of all women's races.

Choi, who captured gold medals in the 1,500m and the 3,000m relay at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics last month, previously won world overall titles in 2015 and 2016. She was well out of contention last year -- a letdown that included a disqualification and a fall during a race -- but was able to build on her Olympic momentum this time.

Choi joins Chun Lee-kyung and Jin Sun-yu as the only South Korean female short trackers with at least three overall titles.

On the men's side, Hwang Dae-heon was the top South Korean in third place with 44 points. He won the 500m gold on Saturday but that was his only podium finish in an individual race, as he ranked fourth in the 1,000m and seventh in the 3,000m superfinal.

Lim Hyo-jun, the 2018 Olympic champion in the 1,500m, was two points back of Hwang in fourth place.

South Korean men won the 5,000m relay title, but it didn't count toward the individual points race.

Charles Hamelin of Canada won his first career overall title with 81 points, leaving Shaolin Sandor Liu of Hungary well back in second place at 45 points. Hamelin is the first Canadian man to take the overall world championship since Marc Gagnon in 1998. (Yonhap)