Canada's Steven Dubois made Olympic history on February 19, 2026, securing his first individual gold medal in the men's 500m short track speed skating event at the Milano Cortina Winter Games. The 28-year-old finished in 40.835 seconds, edging out Dutch siblings Melle and Jens van 't Wout who claimed silver and bronze respectively.
Chinese skater Liu Shaoang suffered heartbreak after crashing in his semifinal's final lap, despite earlier dominating his quarterfinal heat. The 2022 Olympic champion recovered to win Final B but finished sixth overall. Teammate Lin Xiaojun also fell short, eliminated in the quarterfinals.
"We wanted to deliver a Spring Festival gift for our supporters," Liu told reporters, referencing the ongoing Lunar New Year celebrations. "It's painful we couldn't bring home gold despite our efforts."
China's short track struggles continued as their men's 5,000m relay team failed to qualify for Final A. Sun Long's 1,000m silver remains the nation's sole medal in the discipline, with only two events remaining in the Olympic program.
