Christie: I would have retired if I won medal

ELISE Christie had planned to retire from short-track if she had managed to crown her career with an Olympic goldmedalinPyeongchang.

Christie (right) was set on pursuing a future elsewhere — possibly in another sport such as cycling or skeleton — but her latest Games calamity has made her more determined than ever to reach the short-track podium.

The 27-year-old said: “I probably wanted to retire. I thought I’d medal and then I would have achieved all I’d wanted and maybe could have had a go at another sport.

“My last goal was to be Olympic champion — there was nothing else to do if I’d achieved that here.

“It didn’t work out and, while I’ve thought about other sports, my heart lies with short-track.

“As much as I hate the sport too at some points, at the same time I’ve worked so hard to be here and I’m getting better and faster every year. I’ve got four years to make sure I’m on that podium.”

Christie’s defiant attitude comes in striking contrast to her post-Sochi misery when, assailed by death threats from South Korean fans, it often seemed unthinkable she would commit to another Olympic cycle.

However, while plenty more tears came with her latest trio of disappointments — culminating in a double-disqualification from the 1,000m heats on Tuesday — Christie has also exuded a self-confident and positive attitude.

“The focus is definitely on Beijing.

“Obviously there will be speed-bumps over the next few months and I still can’t believe the Olympics has ended like this,” Christie added.

“I’ve done hundreds of races in the last 10 years where I’ve been on top of that podium.

“I’ve won world and European titles and medals. The odds of it going this way were so slim and that means it isn’t over.”

Meanwhile, the right ankle she injured during her crash in the 1,500m semi-final last week will rule Christie out of defending her three world titles i n Montreal next month.

FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD Alina Zagitova won the Olympic ladies’ figure skating title at the Gangneung Ice Arena, earning the first gold of the Games for the Olympic Athletes From Russia.

Zagitova held on to beat compatriot Evgenia Medvedeva by just over a single point after a pair of mesmerising free skates which earned identical scores of 156.65, with Kaetlyn Osmond of Canada a distant third.

KELSEY Serwa continued Canadian dominance of ski-cross by winning the women’s final.

Serwa’s team-mate Brittany Phelan took the silver with Fanny Smith of Switzerland claiming bronze.

Britain’s Emily Sarsfield, making her Games debut at 34, finished second in her heat, in which Canada’s India Sherret took a heavy fall but came last in her quarter-final behind eventual silver medallist Phelan.