The five-man final was dominated by two countries - the Netherlands were represented by two-time gold medallist Jens van 't Wout, his older brother Melle van 't Wout, and Teun Boer, while Canada boasted world no. 1 William Dandjinou and Steven Dubois in the fight for gold.
In the final, which Jens van 't Wout started from first position, Steven Dubois quickly took the lead ahead of Van 't Wout. The race was shaken up by Teun Boer's fall, which put William Dandjinou in second and made Jens van 't Wout drop down the field after nearly. Melle van 't Wout took the third spot and overtook Dandjinou, who was overtaken by Jens van 't Wout.
Dubois stayed far ahead of the pack and confidently won the gold medal - Canada's first of the short track tournament and Dubois's fourth overall Olympic short track medal after winning gold, silver and bronze in the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.
The Van 't Wout brothers will both take home medals from the men's 500m, with Melle van 't Wout winning silver on his 26th birthday and after two years of severe injury trouble, and Jens van 't Wout adding a bronze medal to his outstanding 2026 Games.
Teun Boer finished the final in fourth place after William Dandjinou was penalised for Boer's fall.
Jens van 't Wout was joined by compatriot Teun Boer, who raced his way up from the fourth starting spot in the quarterfinal, in the semifinal against Steven Dubois, Denis Nikisha, and Liu Shaoang. Jens van 't Wout won the heat after passing Dubois, and was eventually joined in the final by Boer, who qualified with the fastest time from a third-placed skater.
Melle van 't Wout, the older brother of Jens, joined his fellow Dutchmen in the final in a shocking semifinal that cost Italian hero Pietro Sighel dearly after a shunt with Maxime Laoun. He seemed to have been impeded, but Laoun's passing attempt was ruled legal.