‘Speed King' Wu Dajing bags 3rd gold at ISU World Cup

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China's Olympic champion Wu Dajing proved that he remains a dominant figure in short track speed skating, winning three gold medals at the ISU Short Track World Cup in Calgary, Canada.

Wu clocked a winning time of 39.915 seconds in the 500m final. “It feels so good to be a champion again,” Wu said after the race. “I went out hard at the start, and I knew they wouldn't be able to catch me.”

The silver and bronze medals went to Azgriev of Kazakhstan in 40.136 seconds and Liu Shaolin of Hungary with a time of 40.194 seconds, respectively.

Wu Dajing (L) of China finishes first in the men's 500m race with a time of 39.915s during the ISU World Cup Short Track in Calgary, Canada, November 4, 2018. /VCG Photo

Wu's time in Calgary was slower than his world record of 39.584 set at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games in February, but the two consecutive championships overwhelmed the world as ISU named Wu as "the speed King in the shortest and wildest distance."

"For everyone, Wu Dajing is too fast. It's hard to catch him, I don't know how he does it," said Hungary's bronze-medalist Liu after the race.

Also, Wu created a Short Track Speed Skating history by winning the first ever mixed relay event in 2:38.245, together with compatriots Fan Kexin, Li Jinyu and Ren Ziwei.

ISU's bid to have Short Track Speed Skating Mixed Gender Relay event into the Olympic Games was approved by International Olympic Committee's Executive Board, on July 18, 2018.

So a Mixed Gender Relay event made its debut in the ISU Short Track World Cup in Calgary. Each of the teams in the event composes of two ladies and two men, competing according to a pre-set sequence in the relay, for example, Lady, Lady, Man, Man.

China was followed by the Netherlands, the United States and South Korea in the relay final.