South Korea's Lee Seung-hoon captured his first world speed skating title in mass start with a late burst in Russia on Sunday.

Lee won the men's mass start at the International Skating Union World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships in Kolomna, Russia, in 7 minutes, 18.26 seconds. Lee beat the defending champ, Arjan Stroetinga of the Netherlands, by 0.06 second, to become the first South Korean, male or female, to win a world title in a race other than 500m.

Alexis Contin of France finished third in 7:18.41.

In mass start, 24 skaters race around the oval, all at the same time, for 16 laps, with some physical contact allowed. Lee, a converted short tracker, has thrived in mass start in recent years, after winning a surprising Olympic gold in 10,000m in 2010. Lee was the overall ISU World Cup champion in mass start in the 2014-2015 season.

Mass start will be contested at the Winter Olympics for the first time in 2018, when South Korea's PyeongChang will serve as the host.

Lee began the race well back of the pack, biding his time until there were two laps remaining. In a chaotic finish, Sverre Lunde Pedersen of Norway tried to make a move in the penultimate lap, but it was Contin who charged out in front with Stroetinga behind him.

Lee, who managed to avoid a crash by Bart Swings, then sprinted past the two on the final straight to cross the line first.

In the women's mass start, South Korean Kim Bo-reum finished second by 0.13 second at 8:17.66, as Ivanie Blondin of Canada won the gold. Miho Takagi of Japan grabbed the bronze.

Kim was in the middle of the pack and surged to fifth with one lap to go. She then skated past three skaters on the final turn to take second place, her first career podium finish at the world championships. (Yonhap)