Rising stars, returning legends: 10 events to look out for in the Milan-Cortina Games 작성일 02-05 31 목록 <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/02/05/0000084054_001_20260205160616106.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Snow falls behind an Olympic rings installation set up in a public square in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, on Feb. 4. [NEWS1]</em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> With the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics kicking off in Italy on Friday, Team Korea is poised for a packed schedule that features short-track speed skating, snowboarding and other icy events alongside Olympic veterans and rising contenders. <br> <br> Around 2,900 athletes from roughly 90 countries will compete across eight sports and 16 disciplines, with a total of 116 gold medals at stake. <br><br>Team Korea sent 71 athletes and set a target of three gold medals and a top-10 finish in the overall standings. <br> <br> JTBC, an affiliate of the JoongAng Ilbo and the exclusive Korean broadcaster for the 2026 Olympics, selected 10 events featuring Korean athletes and global stars. <br><br><b>Korea to face Britain in the fourth round of the curling mixed doubles round robin at 2:35 p.m. on Friday. [10:35 p.m. Friday in Korea]</b> <br> <b> <br> </b> <br> <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/02/05/0000084054_002_20260205160616386.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Kim Seon-yeong, left, and Jeong Yeong-seok of Korea’s curling mixed doubles team train at the Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong, on Jan. 7. [NEWS1] </em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> Kim Seon-young and Jeong Yeong-seok will represent Korea in the country’s first Olympic appearance in curling mixed doubles. <br> <br> Teams play nine round robin matches, with the top four advancing to the semifinals. In previous competitions using the same format, teams with six wins have typically qualified, while five-win teams have advanced in some cases. <br> <br> Britain enters The Games after finishing second at the 2025 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship. <br><br><b>The women’s Alpine skiing downhill final to take place at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday [7:30 p.m. Sunday in Korea]</b> <br> <br> <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/02/05/0000084054_003_20260205160616607.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Lindsey Vonn of the United States approaches the finish area after crashing, during an alpine ski, women's World Cup downhill, in Crans Montana, Switzerland, on Jan. 30. [AP/YONHAP]</em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> Lindsey Vonn of the United States, 41, will be returning after coming out of retirement. <br> <br> Initially retired in 2019, Vonn rejoined the World Cup circuit for the 2024-25 season and secured a spot at the Olympics. She will be competing at the 2026 Games on the back of two World Cup wins this season. <br><br><b>The short-track speed skating mixed team relay to run from the quarterfinals through the finals at 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 10. [6:30 p.m. on Feb. 10 in Korea]</b> <br> <br> <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/02/05/0000084054_004_20260205160616717.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Korean short track speed skaters train at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 4. [YONHAP] </em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> <br> This event features mixed teams of male and female skaters racing together. <br> <br> Team Korea won gold in the third leg of the 2025-26 ISU World Tour in November. Canada, China and the Netherlands are some of the contenders Korea will be facing. <br> <br> Teams skate 18 laps, or 2,000 meters (6,561 feet), in a women-women-men-men sequence, with a male skater completing the final leg. <br> <br> <b> </b> <br> <b>The women’s snowboarding halfpipe final to begin at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 12 [3:30 a.m. on Feb. 13 in Korea]</b> <br> <b> <br> </b> <br> <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/02/05/0000084054_005_20260205160616943.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Snowboarder Choi Ga-on [CJ]</em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> Forbes named high school student Choi Ga-on as a top gold medal contender in the event. <br> Choi will make her Olympic debut this year on the back of three wins in the 2025-26 FIS Snowboard World Cup season. <br> <br> Her main rival is Chloe Kim of the United States, who is on a quest to secure her third consecutive Olympic gold medal. <br><br><b>The men’s figure skating free skate in figure skating is set for 7 p.m. on Feb. 13. [3 a.m. on Feb. 14 in Korea] </b> <br> <br> <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/02/05/0000084054_006_20260205160617050.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Gold medallist Ilia Malinin of the United States celebrates during the men's grand prix final medal ceremony at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan, on Dec. 6, 2025. [REUTERS/YONHAP] </em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> Ilia Malinin of the United States, who landed the world’s first quadruple Axel in an official competition in September 2022, enters as a favorite to win a gold medal. <br> <br> He has said he may attempt a quintuple jump at the Games. <br> <br> From Team Korea, Cha Jun-hwan will compete in his third consecutive Olympics after placing 15th at PyeongChang in 2018 and fifth at Beijing in 2022. <br> <br> This year's Games also features Yuma Kagiyama of Japan, the silver medalist at the 2022 Olympics, and Adam Siao Him Fa of France, the reigning European champion. <br><br><b>The men’s skeleton final at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 13. [3:30 a.m. on Feb. 14 in Korea] </b> <br> <b> <br> </b> <br> <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/02/05/0000084054_007_20260205160617267.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Jung Seung-gi of Korea competes during the IBSF Skeleton World Cup stop in St. Moritz, Switzerland, on Jan. 9. [EPA/YONHAP]</em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> Jeong Seung-gi, once viewed as the successor to Olympic champion Yun Sung-bin, returned to action after suffering temporary paralysis in his lower body. <br> <br> He completed rehabilitation in about one year and finished third overall in the World Cup standings this season. While his once explosive starts slowed, his refined driving technique emerged as a new strength. <br> <br> He said he aims to “complete a miracle with a gold medal.” <br> <br> Jeong will be competing against strong contenders, including World No. 1 Matt Weston of Britain. <br><br><b>The men’s short-track speed skating 1,500-meter race to run from the quarterfinals through the final at 8:15 p.m. on Feb. 14. [4:15 a.m. on Feb. 15 in Korea]</b> <br> <br> <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/02/05/0000084054_008_20260205160617457.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Short track speed skater Hwang Dae-heon. left, celebrates with Lim Hyo-jun after finishing the men's 500-meter race at Gangneung Ice Arena at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics in Gangneung, Gangwon, on Feb. 22, 2018. [NEWS1] </em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> The men's 1,500-meter races will feature Korea-born Chinese skater Lin Xiaojun, who won a gold medal at the 2018 Olympics under the Korean name Lim Hyo-jun. <br> <br> Team Korea has Hwang Dae-heon, who claimed gold in the 1,500-meter race in Beijing in 2022. <br> <br> Lin and Hwang will be competing against each other at the Olympics for the first time, with The Games offering Lin a chance to win his first Olympic medal for China. <br><br><b>The women’s freestyle skiing big air final to begin at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 16 [3:30 a.m. on Feb. 17 in Korea]</b> <br> <br> <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/02/05/0000084054_009_20260205160617645.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Eileen Gu of China competes during the women's slopestyle qualification at the 2022 Winter Olympics on Feb. 14, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. [AP/YONHAP]</em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> Eileen Gu, who won gold in both big air and halfpipe at the Beijing Olympics, is competing in not only those two disciplines but also in slopestyle. <br> <br> She has already set the World Cup record with 20 career wins. Born and raised in the United States to a Chinese mother and an American father, she has represented China on the international stage. <br> <br> Italy’s rising star Flora Tabanelli stands as her main challenger in big air. <br><br><b>The women’s short-track speed skating 1,500-meter race to conclude at 8:15 p.m. on Feb. 20.</b><b> [4:15 a.m. on Feb. 21 in Korea]</b> <br> <b> <br> </b> <br> <div class="ab_photo photo_center ab_zoom"> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/02/05/0000084054_010_20260205160617808.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">Short track speed skater Choi Min-jeong trains at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 3. [NEWS1] </em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> Choi Min-jeong is a favorite on Team Korea to medal in the women's short-track speed skating <b> </b>Choi already has three Olympic gold medals from the previous Games — two from PyeongChang in 2018 and one from Beijing in 2022 — as well as multiple medals from other competitions. <br> <br> Team Korea's Kim Gil-li is another skater to watch — she enters the competition with a gold medal from the 1,500-meter race at the 2025-26 ISU Short Track World Tour. <br> <br> Courtney Sarault of Canada could prove to be a major competitor, as she has consistently pressured Korean skaters. <br><br><b>The men’s ice hockey final to take place at 10 p.m. on Feb. 22.</b> <b>[10:10 p.m. on Feb. 22 in Korea]</b> <br> <br> <div class="ab_photo photo_center "> <div class="image"> <span class="end_photo_org"><img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/02/05/0000084054_011_20260205160617970.jpg" alt="" /><em class="img_desc">France's men hockey players take part in a training session on Feb. 3 ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. [AP/YONHAP] </em></span> <span class="mask"></span> </div> </div> <br> For the first time in 12 years, NHL players will compete at the Olympics, setting up a full-scale clash of global stars. <br> <br> Canada enters as the top favorite with Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby. The United States counters with Auston Matthews and brothers Quinn Hughes and Jack Hughes. <br> <br> Defending champion Finland and Sweden are also among the contenders. Twelve teams will compete across three groups. <br><br><i>This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.</i> 관련자료 이전 英 BBC, “러시아 일부 선수 우크라이나 침공 지지 활동 포착”→선수 자격 의문 제기…IOC는 선수 SNS 활동 체크 02-05 다음 '권순우·정현 출격' 한국 테니스, 아르헨과 데이비스컵서 격돌 02-05 댓글 0 등록된 댓글이 없습니다. 로그인한 회원만 댓글 등록이 가능합니다.
