Journalist
Lee Hugh
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China’s Lin Xiaojun Ends Milan-Cortina Olympic Short Track Events Without a Medal Lin Xiaojun of China finished the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics without a medal in the men’s individual short track events. Lin placed fourth in the third quarterfinal heat of the men’s 500 meters at the Milan Ice Skating Arena on Wednesday (Korea time), clocking 40.638 seconds. Canada’s William Dandjinou (40.330) and Italy’s Pietro Sighel (40.392) advanced in first and second. Canada’s Maxime Laoun (40.454) also moved on as the fastest third-place finisher across the heats. The result eliminated Lin from the 500, ending his individual schedule. He also failed to get past the quarterfinals in the 1,000 and 1,500. Lin won one gold and one bronze medal for South Korea at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. After an incident during national team training in June 2019, he was suspended by the Korea Skating Union and later became a naturalized Chinese citizen. He returned to the Olympics after eight years but did not reach the podium in individual events. He also came up short in team events. Lin skated only in the quarterfinals of the mixed relay, and China finished fourth in the final. In the men’s 5,000 relay, China reached the semifinals but did not advance to the final. In the men’s 500 final, Canada’s Steven Dubois won gold in 40.835. The Netherlands’ Meller Vant Wout took silver in 40.912, and Jens Vant Wout won bronze in 41.908. 2026-02-19 06:06:00 -
South Korea Wins Women’s 3,000-Meter Short Track Relay Gold at Milan Olympics South Korea’s women won gold in the short track 3,000-meter relay at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, rallying late in the final. The team of Choi Min-jeong, Kim Gil-li (both of Seongnam City Hall), Noh Do-hee (Hwaseong City Hall) and Shim Suk-hee (Seoul City Hall) finished first Thursday (Korea time) at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in 4:04.014. Host Italy took silver in 4:04.107, and Canada won bronze in 4:04.314. It was South Korea’s first gold medal in short track at these Games. Earlier, Lim Jong-eon won bronze in the men’s 1,000 meters, Hwang Dae-heon took silver in the men’s 1,500, and Kim won bronze in the women’s 1,000. The victory was South Korea’s second gold of the Olympics, following Choi Ga-on’s win in the women’s snowboard halfpipe on Feb. 13. South Korea’s overall medal total rose to seven (2 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze). Choi Min-jeong, now a three-time Olympic gold medalist, increased her career Olympic haul to six medals (4 gold, 2 silver). The totals tied the South Korean records for most Olympic gold medals (four) and most Olympic medals across the Summer and Winter Games (six). The women’s 3,000-meter relay has long been one of South Korea’s strongest Winter Olympic events. Since it became an Olympic medal event at the 1992 Albertville Games, South Korea has won seven gold medals in 10 Olympics. South Korea first won relay gold at the 1994 Lillehammer Games and then captured four straight titles through Nagano in 1998, Salt Lake City in 2002 and Turin in 2006. The team was disqualified in the 2010 Vancouver final, but returned to win back-to-back gold in Sochi in 2014 and Pyeongchang in 2018. After taking silver behind the Netherlands at the 2022 Beijing Games, South Korea regained the top spot in Milan.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-19 05:30:00 -
Snowboarder Yoo Seung-eun finishes 12th in Olympic women’s slopestyle Yoo Seung-eun of Seongbok High School fell short in her bid for another medal in the women’s snowboard slopestyle at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, saying she was disappointed with her performance. Competing Tuesday (Korea time) at Livigno Snow Park in Italy, Yoo scored 34.18 points in the final and finished 12th among 12 athletes. After winning South Korea’s first Olympic medal in women’s snowboarding in big air, Yoo tried to add another podium finish in slopestyle. But mistakes in all three runs kept her from moving up the standings. “I feel like I rode really badly. It’s so frustrating,” Yoo said after the event. “I’m sorry I couldn’t show a good performance to everyone who supported me.” Looking back, she said, “Everything is disappointing. I tried to play it safe early on, but I made a mistake. After that, I kept making mistakes, and I felt I’m still lacking a lot in skill.” She pointed to the rail section as a weakness. “I think I was more nervous than in qualifying,” she said. “My condition was fine today. I felt my rail skills are very lacking.” Yoo also contrasted slopestyle with big air. “In big air, I could try a lot of new techniques, so it was a really good experience,” she said. “In slopestyle, I realized how much I’m lacking in the rail section.” After her first Olympics, Yoo said, “Overall, it was a really fun Olympics,” adding, “I’m set to return home tomorrow, but I’m a little disappointed because the final result wasn’t good.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-19 04:12:00 -
Dog Runs Onto Cross-Country Course at Milan-Cortina Olympics, Follows Skier to Finish A large dog ran onto the course during cross-country skiing at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, briefly joining the race. In the women’s team sprint qualifying on Feb. 18 (Korea time) at the cross-country stadium in Tesero, Italy, a Czech wolfhound bounded onto the snow and ran behind the skiers. The dog sprinted just behind Croatia’s Tena Hadzic, who finished 19th, and followed her all the way across the finish line. Reuters reported that the dog started running after the athletes near the finish, paused briefly to sniff, then passed them and crossed the line. Spectators laughed and cheered at the unexpected sight, and some stood to applaud. The dog’s owner told NPR the pet is named “Nazgul,” after an evil spirit in “The Lord of the Rings.” He said the dog cried more than usual after watching them leave for the stadium, so he brought it along, adding that it likes people and follows them well. The incident also drew attention among athletes. Sweden’s Jonna Sundling, who won, said, “It was really fun,” adding that she laughed because the dog seemed to want to come into the mixed zone as well. Omega, the Olympics’ official timekeeper, added to the buzz by preserving the moment the dog crossed the finish line in a photo-finish image.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-19 02:15:00 -
Shiffrin wins Olympic slalom gold for first time in eight years at Milan-Cortina Games Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States won a Winter Olympics gold medal for the first time in eight years. Shiffrin captured the women's slalom title at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on Feb. 18 (Korean time) at the Tofane Alpine Ski Center in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. She posted a combined time of 1 minute, 39.10 seconds over two runs. The victory marked Shiffrin's first Olympic gold since 2018. She previously won slalom gold at the 2014 Sochi Games and giant slalom gold, plus a silver in the combined, at the 2018 PyeongChang Games. She left the 2022 Beijing Games without a medal. At these Games, Shiffrin had missed the podium in her first two events, finishing fourth in the team combined and 11th in the giant slalom. In her signature event, she delivered. Shiffrin entered as the top slalom skier after winning all five women's slalom races on the 2025-26 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup circuit. She led after the first run in 47.13 seconds. Though she slowed to 51.97 in the second run, her total time still held up for gold. Switzerland's Camille Rast took silver in 1:40.60, and Sweden's Anna Swenn Larsson won bronze in 1:40.81. South Korea's Kim Sohee (Seoul City Hall) and Park Seoyun (Korea National Sport University) did not finish the first run.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-19 01:54:00 -
Ukraine to Boycott Opening Ceremony, Other Events at Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics Ukraine will skip the opening ceremony and other official events at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Paralympics, which begin March 7 (Korea time), in protest of the decision to allow Russian and Belarusian teams to compete under their national flags. According to Reuters, Ukraine’s sports minister, Matvii Bidnyi, said on Feb. 18, “Our team will not attend any events during the Games,” adding, “However, we will compete as normal.” Earlier that day, the International Paralympic Committee approved entries for six Russian athletes and four Belarusian athletes for the Winter Paralympics. It also decided to allow the use of the two countries’ flags and the playing of their national anthems. The IPC barred Russia and Belarus from hosting international events and suspended their eligibility after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in March 2022. It restored their membership at its general assembly in Seoul in August last year. Russia’s participation as a national Paralympic team marks its first such appearance since the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympics, 12 years ago.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-19 00:27:00 -
Snowboarder Yoo Seung-eun Finishes 12th in Olympic Slopestyle, Ends Medal Bid Big air bronze medalist Yoo Seung-eun (Seongbok High School) ended her first Olympic appearance with a 12th-place finish in women’s snowboard slopestyle. Competing Feb. 18 (Korea time) at Livigno Snow Park in Italy, Yoo posted a best score of 34.18 across three finals runs, placing 12th among the 12 finalists at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics. The final had been scheduled for Feb. 17 but was postponed a day because of heavy snow and severe weather. Yoo had raised medal hopes by scoring 76.80 in qualifying, third overall, but struggled to complete clean runs in the final. Going 10th, she scored 20.70 on her first run after a landing mistake in the rail section (Section 3). Her best score came on the second run. She landed a switch backside 900 on the first jump (Section 4) and followed with a frontside 360 in Section 5, but fell on the landing while attempting a backside 720 on the final jump (Section 6), finishing with 34.18. On her third run, she slipped early in Section 2 and again attempted a switch backside 900 on the first jump, but wobbled on the landing and scored 15.46. Yoo finished the Games after making history for South Korea’s snow events by winning bronze in snowboard big air. Japan’s Mari Fukada won gold with 87.83 points. Silver went to Zoi Sadowski-Synnott of New Zealand, and bronze to Japan’s Kokomo Murase.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-19 00:15:00 -
Lee Ufan Works Lead Seoul Auction and K Auction Sales in Late February The year’s first art auction delivered stronger-than-expected results, raising expectations of a market rebound, and major houses are now preparing a new round of February sales. According to the art auction industry on the 19th, Seoul Auction and K Auction will hold their February auctions on the 26th and 27th, respectively. Together, the two houses will offer 226 works by artists whose value has been tested in domestic and international markets, with a combined estimate of about 17.6 billion won. Seoul Auction will feature Lee Ufan’s “Dialogue,” a work defined by minimal brushwork set against broad areas of open space. It is estimated at 950 million won to 1.8 billion won. Works by key figures in modern Korean art, including Lee Jung-seob, Chang Ucchin and Choi Young-rim, will also be offered. K Auction will also lead with large-scale “Dialogue” paintings by Lee, including No. 300 and No. 100, and will add a wider range of works, from ceramics to small terracotta pieces. The No. 300 painting, made in 2007, is described as a rare, extra-large format within Lee’s output. It is estimated at 1.35 billion won to 2.4 billion won. Lee’s ceramic works and terracotta pieces offered alongside the paintings highlight another side of his practice. His painted ceramic work titled “Untitled” extends the relationship between dots and empty space from his flat canvases into three-dimensional form. At Seoul Auction, Kim Tschang-yeul’s “Sunflower” and “Return” are also expected to draw attention. “Sunflower,” made in 1955, shows the artist’s early style before his well-known water-drop series and is estimated at 250 million won to 500 million won. “Return,” a large folding-screen-format work made in 1996, is estimated at 120 million won to 250 million won. K Auction will also offer works by Dansaekhwa masters including Park Seo-bo and Yun Hyong-keun, alongside international names such as Yayoi Kusama, Bernard Buffet, Gerhard Richter and Yoshitomo Nara. Kusama’s 1991 “Pumpkin” will be included. Chun Kyung-ja’s “Woman,” selected for the auction catalog cover, is also positioned as a key work in the sale. A K Auction official said the January auction ended with strong interest, confirming steady demand and high collector participation. The official added that the positive start to the year is fueling expectations for more active movement in the art market in 2026. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-19 00:03:00 -
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo Wins Team Sprint Gold for Fifth Title at Milan-Cortina Olympics Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo became the first five-time gold medalist in cross-country skiing at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, bringing his career Olympic gold total to 10. Klaebo and Einar Hedegart won the men’s team sprint final on Feb. 18 (Korean time) at the Tesero Cross-Country Ski Stadium in Italy. Klaebo and Hedegart, who also teamed up in the men’s 4x7.5-kilometer relay on Feb. 15, finished in 18 minutes, 28.98 seconds. They beat the U.S. duo of Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher (18:30.35) by 1.27 seconds. Host Italy’s Elia Barp and Federico Pellegrino took bronze in 18:32.29. In the team sprint, two skiers form a team and each races a roughly 1.5-kilometer course three times, with places decided by combined time. Klaebo swept five events at these Games: the 10km+10km skiathlon, sprint classic, 10km interval start free, the 4x7.5km relay and the team sprint. With the relay win, he moved into first place for the most Winter Olympic gold medals in history with nine, then extended the mark to 10 with Tuesday’s victory. Klaebo won three golds at Pyeongchang 2018 and two at the Beijing 2022 Olympics, and now has five at this Olympics for 10 total. Across the Summer and Winter Olympics, the all-time record for most gold medals is 23 by U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps. Klaebo also matched the record for most gold medals at a single Olympics, set by American speed skater Eric Heiden at the 1980 Lake Placid Games with five (500m, 1,000m, 1,500m, 5,000m and 10,000m). Klaebo is scheduled to race the 50km mass start on Feb. 21. A gold there would put him ahead of Heiden and set a new single-Games record for the first time in 46 years. 2026-02-18 22:33:00 -
Cha Jun-hwan Reveals Ankle Injury After Historic Fourth-Place Olympic Finish South Korean men’s figure skating standout Cha Jun-hwan said he delivered the best Olympic result in the country’s history — fourth place at his third Olympics — while dealing with a painful right ankle injury. After an official practice session on Feb. 18 (Korea time) at the Milan Ice Skating Arena’s training rink, the 25-year-old Seoul Metropolitan Government skater told reporters his condition had been worse than it appeared. “My right ankle, around the ankle bone, was in such bad shape that it had fluid buildup,” Cha said. He said the pain intensified during a recent skate change because the boot pressed on his ankle. “I was getting treatment while it was swollen with fluid, and it ended up stiffening while still swollen,” he said. “But I approached it thinking I had to endure somehow until the Olympics, and I didn’t show it for psychological stability.” Cha said that after finishing the free skate, the tension lifted and he came down with a severe cold and body aches. “It’s a good thing I got sick after everything was over,” he said with a smile. Cha’s effort also drew praise from a special visitor: Martina Corgnati, the daughter of late Italian singer Milva, whose original song “Ballad for a Madman” Cha used for his free skate. Corgnati visited Korea House to express thanks. In a video message, she said, “If my mother, who passed away five years ago, had seen it, she would have been moved.” She added, “The way he got back up after falling during the performance and continued was sublime. I was touched by how deeply he connected with the music.” Cha replied, “I never imagined this, so I’m surprised and grateful. Performing to that piece actually gave me strength. I really think I made the right choice changing the music.” Cha is set to skate in the Feb. 22 gala show to “Not a dream” by Korean traditional vocalist Song So-hee. He said the word that runs through his skating is “freedom,” and called it a Korean-style piece that expresses that well. He was cautious about what comes next. On the world championships after the Olympics, Cha said he is considering whether to compete given his ankle condition. Asked about a bid for the 2030 Alps Olympics, he said he needs time to regroup.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-18 22:15:00