Going for gold in the winter cold: Team Korea's chances at the Milan-Cortina Olympics

작성일 02-06

<div class="ab_photo photo_center "> <div class="image"> <img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/02/06/0000084090_001_20260206092710862.jpg" alt="" />A view of the Olympic rings in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy on Feb. 2. [REUTERS/YONHAP] </div> </div> Korea will compete in 12 of the 16 sports at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics &#8212; from the ice disciplines, where it has long been a global force, to events on snow and sliding sports where its presence continues to grow. While short track and speed skating remain the foundation of Korea’s Winter Olympic identity, the scope of its participation has steadily widened over recent years. Figure skating, curling and snowboarding have become established parts of the Korean Olympic program, producing results that have reshaped expectations beyond the country’s traditional strengths. And while medals tend to be harder to come by on the slopes, Korea has retained a qualification spot in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and the biathlon. The sliding disciplines &#8212; bobsleigh, skeleton and luge &#8212; remain among the most technically demanding events on the Olympic schedule, requiring extensive international competition and familiarity with tracks that are very limited at home. Korea’s presence in these sports, developed largely ahead of and after the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, signals a commitment to sustained participation rather than short-term results. But on the ice is where Korea dominates. Short track speed skating, where Korean athletes have won as many gold medals as athletes from the next three countries combined, is the country’s strongest sport and is once again expected to be where the most silverware comes from. The country remains a strong player in speed skating and has real medal potential on the figure skating rink as well. Korea has a shot (or a slide and a sweep) in curling, which exploded in popularity here in 2018, and the young stars of the country’s snowboard team are coasting on dominant seasons into the Games. The four sports Korea will sit out come as little surprise. Three are highly technical skiing sports &#8212; ski jump, ski mountaineering and Nordic combined &#8212; where Korea has never really attempted to compete. The fourth is ice hockey, which Korea does dabble in, but with incredibly stacked rosters as the NHL has agreed to release players for the Olympics this year, staying away from that is probably a good idea. Officially, Korea is aiming for three gold medals and a top-10 finish on the medal table in Italy. That would beat Beijing 2022, where Korea earned two gold, five silver and two bronze medals to finish in 14th place &#8212; the country’s worst finish since Salt Lake City 2002. Here’s how the sports line up. Alpine skiing <div class="ab_photo photo_center "> <div class="image"> <img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/02/06/0000084090_002_20260206092711010.jpg" alt="" />Jung Dong-hyun competes during the men's alpine skiing slalom event at the 9th Asian Winter Games in Yabuli, China on Feb. 9, 2025. [XINHUA/YONHAP] </div> </div> Korea will field a trio of alpine skiers in Milan&#8211;Cortina: Jung Dong-hyun, Gim So-hui and Park Seo-yun. Jung and Gim are seasoned Olympians, with Jung returning for his fifth Games and Gim for her fourth. This is 21-year-old Park’s Olympic debut, following qualifications at the 2024 Asian Games and 2025 Universiade. Korea is still chasing its first medal in alpine skiing. Biathlon <div class="ab_photo photo_center "> <div class="image"> <img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/02/06/0000084090_003_20260206092711064.jpg" alt="" />Athletes compete in Biathlon World Cup in Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic on Jan. 25. [AP/YONHAP] </div> </div> Biathlon, a mix of cross-country skiing and rifle shooting, is not a sport that Korea traditionally excels at. Naturalized Korean athlete Ekaterina Avvakumova returns for her third Olympics under the Taeguki mark, having earned her citizenship immediately prior to the 2018 PyeongChang Games. She is joined by Choi Du-jin in the men’s event in his Olympic debut. Bobsleigh <div class="ab_photo photo_center "> <div class="image"> <img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/02/06/0000084090_004_20260206092711125.jpg" alt="" />The Korean four-man bobsleigh competes at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics at the Yanqing National Sliding Center in Beijing on Feb. 19, 2022. [YONHAP] </div> </div> The Korean bobsleigh team qualified 10 athletes for Milan&#8211;Cortina, with a strong focus on the two-man, two-woman and four-man sleds. Bobsleigh has gained traction in Korea since the 2018 PyeongChang Games, when Korea won its first medal in the sport. The Korean team has strong ties with Jamaica, including training with former Jamaican sprinter Tyquendo Tracey and lending the Jamaican team a bobsleigh for qualifying. Cross-country skiing <div class="ab_photo photo_center "> <div class="image"> <img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/02/06/0000084090_005_20260206092711195.jpg" alt="" />Cross-country skiing athletes train at Livigno Snow Park in Livigno, Italy on Feb. 3. [REUTERS/YONHAP] </div> </div> Korea will field three cross-country skiers, competing in both classic and freestyle distance events. While Korea is not viewed as a medal threat in these endurance races, Han Da-som and Lee Eui-jin both bring experience from Beijing 2022 to the tournament. Lee Joon-seo, Korea’s sole male competitor, is making his debut in Cortina. Curling <div class="ab_photo photo_center "> <div class="image"> <img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/02/06/0000084090_006_20260206092711286.jpg" alt="" />The Korean national women's curling team [KOREA CURLING FEDERATION] </div> </div> Korea’s women’s curling team, known as “Team 5G,” features skip Gim Eun-ji and a lineup that blends experience and fresh talent as they chase Korea’s second Olympic medal in the sport since 2018. In mixed doubles, Kim Seon-yeong &#8212; a 2018 silver medalist with the famous Team Kim in 2018 &#8212; teams up with Jeong Yeong-seok to give Korea a strong Olympic entry. Figure skating <div class="ab_photo photo_center "> <div class="image"> <img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/02/06/0000084090_007_20260206092711389.jpg" alt="" />Cha Jun-hwan performs in the men's senior free skating competition at the 80th National Figure Skating Championships at Mokdong Ice Rink in western Seoul on Jan. 4. [NEWS1] </div> </div> Figure skating remains one of Korea’s flagship Olympic sports, shaped by the enduring legacy of Kim Yuna. At Milan&#8211;Cortina, Cha Jun-hwan, a world championship medalist, leads Korea’s medal hopes in men’s singles. In women’s singles, Shin Ji-a and Lee Hae-in are genuine contenders. Korea also competes in ice dance with Hannah Lim and Quan Ye, marking continued expansion beyond singles. Freestyle skiing <div class="ab_photo photo_center "> <div class="image"> <img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/02/06/0000084090_008_20260206092711436.jpg" alt="" />A Korean skiier at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics at Zhangjiakou National Cross-Country Ski Center in Hebei, China on Feb. 6, 2022. [YONHAP] </div> </div> Seven athletes will represent Korea in freestyle skiing, spread across moguls and halfpipe. This represents Korea’s largest squad outside of PyeongChang, when qualification came with home field advantage. Kim Dae-un and Lee Seung-hun are the only returnees from Korea’s three-person Beijing 2022 squad, while 17-year-old Lee So-young is the youngest of a very youthful lineup. Luge <div class="ab_photo photo_center "> <div class="image"> <img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/02/06/0000084090_009_20260206092711574.jpg" alt="" />Jung Hye-sun in action during the women's singles race at the Luge World Cup in Sigulda, Latvia on Jan. 3. [EPA/YONHAP] </div> </div> Korea will be represented in luge by Jung Hye-sun, who earned her place at Milan&#8211;Cortina through World Cup results after years of competing largely on European tracks. Training without a domestic ice facility, she makes her Olympic debut with an aim to convert that experience into competitive runs in one of the Games' most extreme sports. Short track speed skating <div class="ab_photo photo_center "> <div class="image"> <img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/02/06/0000084090_010_20260206092711693.jpg" alt="" />Choi Min-jeong trains at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy on Feb. 2. [YONHAP] </div> </div> Short track remains Korea’s flagship Winter Olympic sport, with a full squad of 10 skaters and multiple medal paths. Choi Min-jeong, a multiple Olympic and world champion, anchors the team as its most reliable gold contender. The women’s relay is strengthened by the return of former world champion Shim Suk-hee, back at the Games after eight years. On the men’s side, rising star Rim Jong-un has emerged as a new force across individual distances and relays. Skeleton <div class="ab_photo photo_center "> <div class="image"> <img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/02/06/0000084090_011_20260206092711764.jpg" alt="" />Jung Seung-gi competes in the Men's Skeleton World Cup in St. Moritz, Switzerland on Jan. 9. [AP/YONHAP] </div> </div> Korea will be represented in skeleton by Jung Seung-gi, Kim Ji-soo and Jeong Han-jin. The sport entered the Korean mainstream after Yun Sung&#8209;bin’s gold at PyeongChang 2018, and Jung now carries that legacy forward after consistent World Cup results. While not medal favorites, Korea again fields a full skeleton lineup on the Olympic stage. Snowboard <div class="ab_photo photo_center "> <div class="image"> <img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/02/06/0000084090_012_20260206092711828.jpg" alt="" />Choi Ga-on in action during the Snowboard Halfpipe competition at the FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland on March 29, 2025. [AP/YONHAP] </div> </div> Snowboarding has emerged as one of Korea’s strongest medal hopes in the run-up to the Games. Veteran Lee Sang-ho arrives as a prime medal contender in parallel giant slalom after winning the final World Cup event before the Games. In halfpipe, Choi Ga-on has surged into the global spotlight with three consecutive World Cup victories, fueling anticipation of a gold medal showdown with reigning queen Chloe Kim. Speed skating <div class="ab_photo photo_center "> <div class="image"> <img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/02/06/0000084090_013_20260206092711881.jpg" alt="" />Speed skater Kim Min-sun trains at Milan Speed Skating Stadium in Milan, Italy on Feb. 3 [YONHAP] </div> </div> Speed skating is one of the Winter Olympic sports Korea is most decorated in, producing gold medals at every Games from 2010 to 2018 before a drought in Beijing. Kim Min-sun leads the sprint events after re-establishing herself as a world-class medal threat, while Park Ji-woo has emerged as a consistent top-tier sprinter. Lee Na-hyun adds momentum as a rising force, giving Korea multiple podium routes as it looks to end that drought in Italy.

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Going for gold in the winter cold: Team Korea's chances at the Milan-Cortina Olympics

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