Canada's Steven Dubois became the king of ice on Wednesday, snatching his first individual Olympic gold in the men's 500m short track at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games. The 28-year-old crossed the line in 40.835 seconds, leaving Dutch siblings Melle and Jens van 't Wout to claim silver and bronze in a historic family podium moment. 🥈🥉
For China, the day brought heartbreak. Fan favorite Liu Shaoang crashed dramatically on the final lap of his semifinal, dashing hopes of a medal during the Lunar New Year celebrations. 'We wanted to gift our people a golden Spring Festival,' Liu said, fighting tears. 'It’s hard to accept, but we gave everything.' 💔
With Lin Xiaojun also eliminated in the quarterfinals and the men’s relay team missing Final A, China’s short track campaign now rests on Sun Long’s 1,000m silver – their only medal so far. Two events remain, but the ⚡need for speed⚡ has never felt more urgent for Team China.
