Olympics-Short track-Ahn powers on to men's 1,500m semi-finals

SOCHI, Russia, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Home-crowd favorite Viktor Ahn cruised into the semi-finals of the men's 1,500 metres short track on Monday as he bids to seize Russia's first medal in the sport. The 28-year-old, who won four Olympic medals for South Korea at the 2006 Torino Games before switching allegiance to Russia and changing his name from Ahn Hyun-soo, stayed at the back for the first four laps then roared past the rest of the field. Reigning 1,500m world champion Sin Da-woon of South Korea and countryman Lee Han-bin, who medalled twice in the distance at World Cups this season, also advanced to the semis. Canadian favourite Charles Hamelin, who won gold in the 500m on home ice at the Vancouver Olympics, and his younger brother Francois will also race in the semi-finals. American J.R. Celski, who won a pair of bronze medals in Vancouver despite almost missing the Games due to a cut in his leg that required 66 stiches, finished second to Sin in his heat. World record holder Noh Jin-kyu is not at the Games due to injury. The South Korean broke his elbow in a fall in January and then underwent surgery to removed a cancerous tumour from his shoulder. (Reporting by Alissa de Carbonnel; Editing by Peter Rutherford)