[BEIJING OLYMPICS] Short tracker Choi Min-jeong eliminated in women's 500m quarterfinals

With a stunning late fall, South Korean short track speed skater Choi Min-jeong was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the women's 500m at Beijing 2022 on Monday, as the two-time Olympic champion has now gone 0-for-2 in her medal quest here.

Choi finished fourth out of five skaters in her quarterfinal heat at Capital Indoor Stadium with a time of 1:04.939. The top two skaters from four quarterfinal heats and the two-fastest third-place skaters advanced to the semifinals.

Choi was in second place behind Arianna Fontana of Italy when she slipped and fell without contact with two laps left in the 4 1/2-lap race.

After sliding into the padding, Choi slammed her hand down on the ice in apparent frustration.

Choi was trying to become the first South Korean to win gold in the women's 500m, which remains the only Olympic short track race in which South Korea had failed to produce a champion. Choi had reached the final at PyeongChang 2018 but was disqualified.

Choi was a member of the mixed relay team that crashed out of the quarterfinals here Saturday. (Yonhap)