Chinese short track speed skater Liu Shaoang secured a bronze medal in the men's 1,500 meters at the ISU World Championships in Beijing on Saturday, thrilling home crowds in a race marked by dramatic twists. The 25-year-old was the sole representative from the Chinese mainland to reach the final, where he overcame a last-lap shuffle to claim third place.
Canada's William Dandjinou clinched gold with a time of 2:15.09, narrowly edging out Belgium's Stijn Desmet. Liu initially finished fourth behind Dutch skater Jens van't Wout, but the latter's disqualification for a rules violation elevated the Chinese athlete to the podium with a time of 2:15.89. "This bronze motivates us to keep pushing for gold," Liu told reporters afterward.
The championships also saw strong performances across other events. Canada's Steven Dubois dominated the men's 500 meters, while Belgium's Hanne Desmet triumphed in the women's 1,000 meters. The Canadian women's team secured relay gold ahead of Poland and the Netherlands.
Competition concludes Sunday with five finals remaining, including the men's 5,000-meter relay where China will seek another podium finish.
