Wu Dajing Wins 2018 Olympic Short Track 500m Gold Medal

Wu Dajing clinched gold for China in the men's short-track speedskating 500-metre final at the 2018 Winter Olympics on Thursday, winning in a new world-record time of 39.584 seconds. 

South Korea collected silver and bronze on the podium as Hwang Daeheon and Lim Hyojun finished second and third, respectively, while 1,000-metre gold-medal winner Samuel Girard left empty-handed. 

Wu set new world and Olympic records earlier on Thursday and laid down a new marker by beating his best time again, dominating the final from start to finish despite South Korea's best efforts to hunt down his lead.

The victory provided a breakthrough for China at these Winter Olympics with only a few days left until the closing ceremony, per China Global Television Network:

Wu blazed to a new world record in his quarter-final performance and less than an hour later established a new competition best to cement his spot as a deserved victor in the short-distance event.

Thursday's gold also helps make up for his narrow miss in the 500 metres at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, where he had to settle for second place on the podium behind Russian Viktor Ahn.

It was Wu who initiated a false start before the race could get under way first time around, although his initiative was accurate on second attempt and helped him set off on the front foot.

The Korean pair of Hwang and Lim did their utmost to chase down the Chinese contender, but Wu was imperious from the gun and never looked like surrendering yardage on the bends.

Girard was off the pace throughout. Sports writer Arash Madani provided context from the Canadian skater, who was well aware a slow beginning in the final wouldn't yield results:

Earlier on Thursday, Hungary's Sandor Shaolin Liu won the men's B final with a time of 40.651 seconds after leading the race from gun to tape, with China's Ziwei Ren just behind him.

Liu put himself in strong contention to capitalise upon any slip-ups in the A final as a best-placed finisher, but his effort wasn't sufficient to see him onto the podium.