Defending champion Tingyu Gao (China) is one half of the 12th pair alongside Jun-Ho Kim (South Korea).

But neither skater threatens the gold medal position. Gao slots into third place and Kim places seventh.

Neither Yevgeniy Koshkin (+0.30) nor Marten Liiv (+0.57) can threaten Laurent Dubreuil (34.26 seconds).

Image source, Getty Images

The Olympic record tumbles!

Canada's Laurent Dubreuil goes into the gold medal position with a time of 34.26 seconds - that's +0.06 faster than the previous Olympic record and +0.20 faster than second-placed Tatsuya Shinhama.

You suspect that won't be the first record time we see tonight.

That's a big finish from Poland's Marek Kania. He was fifth or sixth at the midway time check but smashes Zhiwen Xue's time by 0.18 seconds!

Unfortunately for the Pole, Japan's Tatsuya Shinhama is even faster!

As things stand:

1. Tatsuya Shinhama (Japan) - 34.46 seconds
2. Marek Kania (Poland) - 34.48 (+0.02)
3. Zhiwen Xue (China) - 34.66 (+0.20)

The lead passes from one Chinese skater to another, with Zhiwen Xue slotting into the gold medal spot with a time of 34.66 seconds.

There was a little slip in there - how fast could he have been?

Image source, Getty Images

China's Ziwen Lian takes the lead, pipping Kyung-Min Koo by 0.04 seconds.

The new time to beat is 34.76.

Joep Wennemars, the reigning 1000m world champion, gets a huge cheer from the Dutch-heavy crowd.

However, neither he nor Piotr Michalski can challenge the time of leader Kyung-Min Koo.

As things stand:

1. Kyung-Min Koo (South Korea) - 34.80 seconds
2. Anders Johnson (Canada) - 34.81
3. Jeffrey Rosanelli (Italy) - 34.82

Emma Smith
BBC Sport at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena

Here's something you don't see often - a broken stick!

One of the Finnish players has his stick completely snapped in two at the handle during a clash. He has to hurriedly head to the bench to pick up a new one.

The two parts of the broken stick are still lying on the ice as play continues around the debris. Eventually, as the action moves to the other end of the rink, one of the officials is able to clean up.

Oooooh that was close! Kyung-Min Koo (South Korea) and Anders Johnson (Canada) come across the line just +0.01 apart, with the former +0.02 clear of leader Jeffrey Rosanelli.

That needed a photo finish!

Koo leads with a time of 34.80 seconds.

Image source, Getty Images

USA's Zach Stoppelmoor starts in one of the more unusual stances, placing his hand down on the ice.

He's pinged for a false start but both skaters get away cleanly at the second attempt.

Stoppelmoor (35.42) is only good enough for fifth as things stand. Spain's Nil Llop Izquierdo finishes just +0.04 behind Italy's Jeffrey Rosanelli.

The home favourite retains the lead.

Image source, Getty Images

If you can't picture what a speed skating sprint race looks like, think of Frozone in The Incredibles.

Italy's Jeffrey Rosanelli gets a big cheer as his name is announced. He is comfortably clear of Hendrik Dombek all the way round and goes to the top of the standings with a time of 34.82.

More cheering.

Image source, Getty Images

The two favourites have been spotted.

USA's Jordan Stolz is limbering up behind the scenes. Dutchman Jenning de Boo is striding around in an orange t-shirt. They'll be the 13th pair onto the track.

Germany's Moritz Klein is currently in the gold medal spot, posting a time of 35.21 - that's a new track record.

Austria's Ignaz Gschwentner sets the pace with a time of 36.07 seconds.

There are 14 pairs to come.

For reference, the Olympic record is 34.32 and the world record is 33.61.

Emma Smith
BBC Sport at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena

Midway through the first period and this match is only going one way.

Olympic champions Finland are dominating hosts Italy, with goals from Seb Aho, Mikael Granlund and Kaapo Kakko.

A win here would see them finish second in Group B, and the goal differential boost would give them a real chance of qualifying straight for the quarter-finals - avoiding the play-offs - as the best ranked group stage runner up.

Ignaz Gschwentner will get this men's 500m final started.

The Austrian is out there all alone on the track - he didn't have a partner for his heat. That breaks my heart a little.

Here's a reminder of Jordan Stolz's Olympic record run from Wednesday night in the 1,000m.

Will the American be adding a second gold to his collection in the next 30 minutes or so?

Bruce Mouat speaking to BBC Sport after GB's 7-4 win over Czech Republic in the men's curling: "We were in control. It was one of those games where you get a good lead and you have to maintain it and we couldn't really get away from them. We had to stick with it, we were in control and we felt pretty comfortable."

Grant Hardie adds: "It is actually quite difficult when you look across the sheet and there's some exciting games and shots. We did a pretty good job of it. We were pretty focused and just had to close it out at the end.:

Mouat is asked for his thoughts on the Canada v Sweden disagreement on Friday evening: "We all know the rules and what is supposed to happen. Marc [Kennedy] has been around for a long time. He knows what is happening, so we all trust that fair play is a thing in our sport and hope that everyone sticks to it. I'm sure Marc didn't mean anything by it, it is just that he was caught doing it on TV I guess. Now it's out there, it should be regulated pretty well, and hopefully by the athletes."

Image source, Getty Images

USA’s Jordan Stolz has already won one gold in Milan-Cortina, setting an Olympic record en route to being crowned 1,000m champion.

The 21-year-old was world champion in 500m, 1,000m, and 1,500m in 2023 and 2024 and has been dominant in this year’s World Cup events, winning every race over the longer two distances and five out of nine in the 500m.

Jenning de Boo finished second to Stolz in the 1,000m on Wednesday but will be hoping to go one better over 500m – the distance in which he is the reigning world champion.

Poland’s Damian Zurek is the reigning European champion and China’s Tingyu Gao is a two-time Olympic medallist, including winning gold in Beijing four years ago.

It’s a busy afternoon of speed skating in Milan. We’ve just had the quarter-finals of the women’s pursuit and now there’s a gold medal to award in the men’s 500m.

Unlike in the short-track events where there are elimination races and high potential for crashes and chaos, there are only two skaters on the track at any one time.

The final follows a time trial format, with each skater racing once against the clock. The fastest time wins gold.

The start order is determined by the World Cup standings, with the highest-ranked skaters competing towards the end of the event.

Image source, Getty Images

Another four gold medals will be handed out on day eight:

• 16:00-16:30 - Speed skating men's 500m
• 17:00-19:30 - Women's skeleton (runs three and four) - featuring Team GB's Tabby Stoecker (5th), Freya Tarbit (6th), and Amelia Coltman (9th)
• 17:45-20:00 - Ski jumping men's large hill individual
• 19:15-22:00 - Short track speed skating men's 1500m - featuring Team GB's Niall Treacy

Plus men's and women's ice hockey (from 15:40 and 20:40), women's curling (from 18:05), and women's freeski big air qualifying, featuring Team GB's Kirsty Muir.