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Canada, U.S. skaters earn gold and silver in short track

Jamie Squire / Getty Images Sport / Getty

GANGNEUNG, South Korea (AP) Samuel Girard yelled and signaled No. 1 with both index fingers as he crossed the finish line first. Just behind him John-Henry Krueger spread his arms in a can-you-believe-it gesture. The Canadian and the American claimed gold and silver in the men's 1,000-meter short track Saturday, upsetting the powerful South Koreans.

Girard and Krueger raced to celebrate with their coaches on the sideline. Krueger sank to his knees on the ice, head in hands, still stunned at winning the first U.S. speedskating medal of the Pyeongchang Olympics.

World champion Seo Yira of the host nation earned bronze.

Seo and South Korea teammate Lim Hyo-jun, who earlier won the 1,500, were taken out in the turn approaching the last lap by Liu Shaolin Sandor of Hungary. Seo got up and kept going, but he was too far behind to catch the leaders. Girard and Krueger sprinted to the finish, with the Canadian keeping his lead.

Krueger was fortunate to reach the A final. He was advanced to the semifinals after Sjinkie Knegt of the Netherlands was penalized for impeding. Knegt finished second in their quarterfinal heat and Krueger was fourth, but moved on when the referees reviewed video.

''I bumped into the American and that is it,'' said Knegt, silver medalist in the 1,500. ''He came to the inside, had his hands in the air. He made the referees look at the video replay and I got (expletive).''

In the women's 1,500 final, Choi Min-jeong won the host nation's second short-track gold in front of President Moon Jae-in.

Li Jinyu of China took silver and Kim Boutin of Canada earned bronze.

In the semifinals, world champion Elise Christie of Britain crashed hard into the protective padding on the last turn and was carried off on a stretcher. Mike Hays, chef de mission for Britain, said Christie was on her way to the hospital for tests. She was moving and fully conscious, covering her face with her hands as she left the ice.

Christie was chasing South Korean leader Choi together with Li when Christie and the Chinese skater tangled. Li also went sliding into the padding, but got up.

Christie was later penalized and would not have advanced to the A final.

Americans Maame Biney, Lana Gehring and Jessica Kooreman were eliminated in the heats of the 1,500.

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More AP Olympic coverage: https://wintergames.ap.org

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