RED-HOT RIVALS, ICE-COLD AMBITION

Short-track speed skating promises to get the Games off to a fiery start

With a dramatic clash between the Chinese Loongs and the Korean White Tigers drawing global attention, the short-track speed skating program at Harbin 2025 is guaranteed to be a world-class showcase of the sport at its highest level.

Forget about the much anticipated opening ceremony, at least for now, as the hair-raising, heart-pumping hot pursuit at the Heilongjiang Ice Training Center — where Friday morning's preliminary rounds of short-track speed skating are being held — has already stolen the limelight at the continental gala event.

As arguably the world's most decorated national program in short-track, the Republic of Korea, known as the White Tigers on the rebranded ISU World Tour, is on the prowl to capture as many of the nine gold medals up for grabs in Harbin as it can when the shorttrack final sessions take place this weekend.