South Korea swept men’s and women’s titles at the World Short Track Speed Skating Team Championships in Warsaw, Poland, early Monday, Korean time.

The men’s team earned 38 points to edge China and Canada, and the women’s team picked up 35 points, beating China and the United States.

In the team championships, countries are awarded points for individual performances. In Warsaw, four skaters from each nation raced in the 500 and 1,000 meters, and two from each skated in the 3,000 meters. The relay covered 3,000 meters for women and 5,000 meters for men.

First-place skaters each earned five points, runners-up three points and third-place racers two points apiece.

In the men’s competition, Noh Jin-kyu and Lee Ho-suk won their 1,000m events. Noh also finished first in the 3,000m. The relay team finished behind China in second place, but South Korea still had enough points to finish atop the overall standings.

In the women’s division, Cho Ha-ri and Park Seung-hi each captured 1,000m titles. Hwang Hyun-sun was the 500m champion. The ladies ended in third in the relay but still had a one-point edge over China in the end.

Last week, Noh and Cho grabbed the men’s and women’s overall titles at the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Sheffield, England.

South Korea won back-to-back medal sweeps at the team championships and likely will for the last time, since the event will no longer be held. From the inauguration of the annual event in 1991 until now, South Korea earned eight men’s titles and 12 women’s titles. 

(Yonhap News)