Watch out world, the Korean White Tigers are coming. That was the overriding message as the ISU Short Track World Tour #3 came to a thrilling conclusion on Sunday in Gdansk, Poland. 

Three golds, a silver and a bronze was quite a haul and, according to the women who led the charge, a sign that Short Track Speed Skating’s most successful nation is once again hitting top form at just the right time. 

Two relays: two victories. First the mixed team saw off fellow big guns the Chinese Loongs (ISU World Tour #1 champions), the Canadian Ice Maples (ISU World Tour #2 winners) and the Dutch Lions. And then the men’s 5000m relay quartet produced their best performance for some time. 

But perhaps even more prescient than the team success was the sight of Kim Gilli leading Choi Minjeong home in the 1500m, before, in a move that will surely give her rivals sleepless nights, three-time Olympic champion Choi grabbed a first 500m medal of the season. 

Talking of nightmares, the sight of Xandra Velzeboer running away with yet another 500m must feel like a recurring bad dream for her rivals. The Dutch Lion currently looks unbeatable in the sprint.  

Choi and Kim peaking to perfection

Seeing Choi Minjeong once more at the front of a women’s 1500m final brought back memories of the Korean’s own period of extraordinary dominance. And while those days of her winning season-on-season may be over, the 27-year-old knows better than any skater in the field how to peak for the big ones. 

Choi failed to reach the top of the podium at all last season, but having claimed 1500m gold at ISU World Tour #2 in Montreal, she grabbed three more medals in the Hala Olivia arena on Sunday. 

“It was good today. I think I am better than World Tour 1 and 2, step by step I am up towards the Olympics. I am ready to get a good result in Milan,” Choi said after Mixed Relay gold, 1500m silver and 500m bronze. 

“I think my condition is 80%-ish. I have two months until the Olympics, so I think I have enough time. It’s good. I need more power and speed. I will try various strategies, many ways how to win.” 

Kim Gilli (right) pips Korean White Tigers team-mate Choi Minjeong (left) to the line in the 1500m. © ISU

If she wants a third Olympic 1500m crown in succession, she may have to work out a way to beat her young teammate, Kim Gilli. 

The 2023/24 ISU Crystal Globe champion looked back to her silky smooth best as she led her storied compatriot home, thanks to a brilliant burst on the penultimate lap. Just like Choi, she has her eye on what is to come. 

“I am so happy to win a gold medal before the Olympics,” Kim said. 

“I try to just focus on doing my best, not on the medals, but I want these experiences of winning because it’s Olympic season.” 

Sarault v Stoddard for Crystal Globe title

Courtney Sarault is another skater producing her best as the stakes get ever higher. The stand-out star of 2025/26 so far may not have taken another gold on Sunday, but bronze in the 1500m and fourth place in the 500m was not bad, especially when her closest rival for the coveted ISU Crystal Globe could only match her results. 

Fourth in the 1500m and third in 500m for Corinne Stoddard means that the season-long title will be on the line when the world’s top female skaters hit the ice in Dordrecht next weekend for ISU World Tour #4. 

Courtney Sarault joined Choi and Kim on the 1500m podium. The Canadian Ice Maple holds a commanding lead in the race for the ISU Crystal Globe. © ISU

“For sure, I am happy I still got a fourth in the 500m with a fall, just because those little points at the end of the day are going to matter, that’s definitely in my head now,” Canadian Ice Maple Sarault said. 

“We have one more to do - game on.” 

Fighting talk is right up Stoddard’s street. Perhaps more than any other skater, the USA Eagle has powered up the World Rankings since the last Olympic Games in 2022. And now, she’s a three-distance skater too. 

“Last year I would never even have expected to be in the 500m final and now I am medalling, and in every A final,” she said after taking a first ever World-level silver in the 500m. 

“If I have a really good weekend next weekend maybe I can catch back up [with Sarault]. I think it will be really exciting in Dordrecht with the crowd and I am going to have a lot of family members coming.” 

Women’s ISU Crystal Globe standings

Courtney Sarault (Canadian Ice Maples) – 700 points

Corinne Stoddard (USA Eagles) – 620 points

Xandra Velzeboer (Dutch Lions) – 544 points

Velzeboer taking nothing for granted

She may not quite be able to match those supporting the two Velzeboers on home ice, however. For a moment in Gdansk it looked like Michelle would be joining her elder sister Xandra on the 500m podium, but a penalty for a lane change that sent Sarault crashing to the ice dashed those hopes. 

But the chances remain stratospheric that the home crowd will get to cheer yet another sprint gold next weekend. Xandra Velzeboer has won six of the past nine World Tour 500m races – including all three this season. 

Xandra Velzeboer took 500m gold for the third time in three ISU World Tour races this season. Can she complete a clean sweep on home ice in Dordrecht? © ISU

Not that the reigning 500m World Champion is getting carried away. 

“I have to say it’s very exciting every time because the girls are very strong and the field is super-close. I definitely don’t take it for granted,” Velzeboer the elder said. 

“I just try to focus race-by-race - quarter-final, semi-final, final - and just focus on the things I have to do to be my best.” 

Tigers tighten team tussle

Velzeboer’s success in Gdansk has helped the Dutch Lions pull further ahead of the Italian Gladiators in third place in the race for the Team ISU Crystal Globe. And while the Korean White Tigers know they will need an almost perfect display in Dordrecht next weekend to overhaul the Canadian Ice Maples at the top of the table, they will at least head into the final World Tour event of this season full of smiles.

“The team relay and the mixed relay is more fun, when you get a gold medal more people are happy,” Rim Jongun said, having led the Koreans home in the Mixed Relay. 

Rim Jongun beats Dutch Lions' Jens van 't Wout to the line in the Mixed Relay to complete a relay hat-trick for the White Tigers in Gdansk. © ISU

His tussle with Dutch Lion Jens van ‘t Wout was yet another highlight of the day, with barely a hair separating the two on the line after 2000 intense metres. 

“I looked back and I could see he [Van ‘t Wout] was coming to me, it was so scary but I just held him off. My legs are long, so I could do it,” Rim laughed. 

ISU Team Crystal Globe standings

1. Canadian Ice Maples - 4355 points

2. Korean White Tigers - 3708 points

3. Dutch Lions - 3403 points