Winter Olympics: Skater Hanne Desmet reaches quarter-finals of short-track competition

Belgium’s Hanne Desmet has qualified for the quarter-finals of the 500m short track speed skating at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

Desmet won her 500m heat in 43.182, 22 thousandths of a second ahead of South Korea’s Minjeong Choi.

The top two from each heat and the four fastest times qualify for the quarter-finals, which are scheduled for Thursday evening.

Hanne’s brother, Stijn, finished third in his 1,000m heat and was eliminated. The Desmets are also scheduled to take part in the mixed team relay alongside Tineke den Dulk and Ward Pétré. They face China, Canada and Kazakhstan in the third and final quarter-final on Tuesday.

^{Hanne Desmet in Milan, 10 February 2026 © BELGA PHOTO JASPER JACOBS}

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