© AP
Hanne Desmet was disqualified in the final of the 1,000 meters short track on the final day of the World Short Track Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Desmet crossed the line first during the race, but was subsequently punished by the jury for allegedly hindering the Dutch Suzanne Schulting. He fell, just like the Korean Gilli Kim and the American Kirsten Santos-Griswold. Desmet stayed upright and crossed the line first, ahead of Italian Arianna Fontana.
After a short deliberation, the jury decided to restart the competition, but without Hanne Desmet. The gold ultimately went to Santos-Griswold, to Kim and Fontana. Local favorite Schulting had to retire in tears with an injury.
Earlier this weekend, Hanne Desmet was also disqualified in the final of the 1,500 meters, in which she had finished second, and in the quarter-finals of the 500 meters. So it became a tournament to quickly forget for the Belgian.
The 27-year-old Desmet won silver in the 1,000 meters in 2021 during the World Championships in Dordrecht, the Netherlands. A year later she won bronze at the same distance during the Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. Desmet is also the reigning and two-time European champion in the 1,000 meters.