Skater Hanne Desmet crowned world champion in short track 1,000m

Belgium’s Hanne Desmet has secured her first world title, winning gold in the 1,000m at the World Short Track Championships in Beijing. Her younger brother Stijn claimed silver in the 1,500m an hour earlier.

Desmet had set her sights on gold ahead of the championships. In the penultimate lap, she executed a perfectly timed overtake to seize the lead and held her position to the finish. 

Canada’s Courtney Sarault took silver, while the Netherlands’ Xandra Velzeboer claimed bronze.

This is Desmet’s second World Championship medal, following silver in the 1,000m in 2021. Her victory comes after a challenging 2024 season, where disqualifications at the World Championships in Rotterdam dashed her hopes.

Earlier in the day, Stijn Desmet produced an impressive performance in the 1,500m final, securing silver behind Canada’s William Dandjinou. He positioned himself at the front with eight laps to go and was the only skater able to challenge the Canadian in the final stages.

This is his fourth World Championship medal, following two bronzes in 2022 and a silver in 2023. 

^{#FlandersNewsService | Hanne Desmet during training © BELGA PHOTO JILL DELSAUX}

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