In Canada, Quebec has a history of producing top short track speed skaters who shine on the Olympic and world stage. One of the biggest names to come from the province is five-time Olympic medallist Charles Hamelin, a hero to Félix Pigeon, who hopes to follow in Hamelin’s footsteps at elite international level, starting with the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Lausanne 2020!

China’s Wu Dajing, Canada’s Samuel Girard and the Republic of Korea’s Lim Hyo-jun won the three men’s individual short track speed skating golds on offer at PyeongChang 2018, where large crowds flocked to the Gangneung Ice Arena night after night. In the 5,000m relay, meanwhile, Shaoang Liu, Shaolin Sándor Liu, Viktor Knoch and Csaba Burjan combined to win Hungary’s first ever Olympic Winter Games title.

Canadian short-track skaters Charles and Francois Hamelin, and Marianne St Gelais, who is Charles' partner away from the ice, have all announced that PyeongChang 2018 will be their last Olympic Winter Games.

Hungary kept their cool to win gold in the men’s short track speed skating 5,000m relay at PyeongChang 2018, held at the Gangneung Ice Arena on Thursday 22 February.

Canada’s Samuel Girard steered clear of a late incident on the track to steal gold in the speed skating men’s 1,000m short track at the Gangneung Ice Arena at PyeongChang 2018 on Saturday 17 February.

On a day with something to suit everyone, the medal action kicks off with the free programme in the men’s figure skating and the women’s super-G, and draws to a close with the men’s large hill individual at the Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre. In between these exciting events come the women’s biathlon mass start, the women’s 4x5km relay in cross-country skiing, the women’s ski slopestyle and the final two rounds of the women’s skeleton. Meanwhile, home fans will be looking forward to the women’s 1,500m and men’s 1,000m short track finals.

Lim Hyojun won gold in the mens 1,500m short track speed skating on Saturday 10 February, giving Olympic hosts, the Republic of Korea, their first medal of Olympic Winter Games Pyeongchang 2018, much to the delight of a vociferous crowd at the Gangneung Ice Arena.

The first gold medal of PyeongChang 2018 will be awarded in the women’s cross-country skiathlon, an event that Norway’s Marit Bjørgen is aiming to win for the third time running. There are also golds to be claimed in short track speed skating, speed skating, biathlon and ski jumping.

There is “no sport like short track”, according to the triple World Championship silver medallist, Samuel Girard. With Lycra-clad competitors flying round the oval, inches from the ice at speeds of up to 45kmh, the Canadian has a point.

The President of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics Organising Committee, Lee Hee-beom hailed the Gangneung Ice Arena test event a total success following the completion of the International Skating Union (ISU) Short Track World Cup event on 16-18 December.