Hamelin extends Short Track Speed Skating World Cup lead with victory in Nagoya

Charles Hamelin extended his men's 500m World Cup lead by winning in Japan ©Getty Images

Canada’s Charles Hamelin extended his International Skating Union (ISU) Short Track Speed Skating World Cup lead after winning the opening men’s 500 metres race of the weekend in Nagoya, Japan.

In the four-man final, Hamelin took the lead from the gun and was able to maintain his lead throughout the duration of the event to cross the line in a winning time of 40.897sec, with South Korea’s Kwak Yoon-Gy finishing second in 41.017.

Hamelin was joined on the podium by brother Francois, promoted to third after Russia’s Dmitry Migunov was penalised by officials.

At the halfway stage of the World Cup season, Hamelin leads the overall standings on 20,352 points, with team-mate Samuel Girard second on 14,096.

China’s Kexin Fan delivered a similar performance in the women’s event, holding off the challenge of Britain’s Elise Christie to win gold in 43.645, having led from the start.

The podium positions were completed by Canada’s Marianne St-Gelais, who finished in 43.822.

It saw the 25-year-old maintain her World Cup lead having moved onto 24,400 points, with Fan and Christie completing the top three on 23,198 and 23,120 respectively.

Choi Min-jeong led home a South Korea clean sweep in the women's 1,500m ©Getty Images

South Korea secured a clean sweep of the women’s 1,500m competition, with Choi Min-jeong emerging as the victor in the six-skater final by completing the distance in a time of 2min 29.689sec.

Compatriots Suk Hee Shim and Do Hee Noh secured the remaining medal positions.

Choi remains 6,000 behind Shim in the overall standings, however, with 18-year-old moving onto 26,000 points.

Meanwhile, The Netherlands' world and European champion Sjinkie Knegt claimed the men’s title in Nagoya, taking the lead from Russia’s Semen Elistratov inside the final three laps, before crossing the line in 2:16.438.

Elistratov held on to claim the silver medal, with South Korea’s Jiwon Park completing the podium positions.

The victory saw Knegt move ahead of the absent Kwak Yoon-Gy in the overall standings having moved to 26,000 points, with the South Korean now 6,000 behind.