Journalist

Park Jong-ho
  • South Korea’s Lee Jun-seo Finishes 58th in Olympic Skiathlon as Norway’s Klaebo Wins Gold
    South Korea’s Lee Jun-seo Finishes 58th in Olympic Skiathlon as Norway’s Klaebo Wins Gold South Korea’s Lee Jun-seo of Gyeonggi Provincial Government finished 58th in the men’s 10 km + 10 km skiathlon at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, while Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won his sixth career Olympic gold medal. Lee posted 53 minutes, 39 seconds in the race held on Feb. 8 (Korea time) at the cross-country stadium in Tesero, Italy. The skiathlon combines two cross-country techniques: classic and freestyle. Athletes race the first half in classic style, then switch to freestyle at the midpoint. Competing in his first Olympics, Lee had aimed for a top-50 finish but fell short. He did, however, complete the race without being lapped and eliminated under the event’s lap rule. Klaebo won in 46:11, finishing 7 minutes, 28 seconds ahead of Lee. After taking three gold medals at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games and two golds at the 2022 Beijing Games, he opened this Olympics by adding another title. Klaebo stayed near the front early, slipped to fourth in the middle stages, then surged late to secure the win. Biathlon great Ole Einar Bjoerndalen and cross-country standouts Bjoern Daehlie and Marit Bjoergen each have eight career Olympic gold medals; Klaebo would tie them with two more. Mathis Desloges of France took silver in 46:13, and Norway’s Martin Loewstroem Nyenget won bronze in 46:13.1. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-09 00:33:00
  • South Korea’s Lee Ui Jin, Han Da Som Fail to Finish Women’s Skiathlon at Milan-Cortina Olympics
    South Korea’s Lee Ui Jin, Han Da Som Fail to Finish Women’s Skiathlon at Milan-Cortina Olympics South Korean cross-country skiers Lee Ui Jin (Busan Metropolitan City Hall Sports Council) and Han Da Som (Gyeonggi Provincial Government) failed to finish their events at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics. Competing in the women’s 10km + 10km skiathlon at the Tesero Cross-Country Ski Stadium in Tesero, Italy, on Feb. 7 (Korea time), Lee covered 13.3 kilometers in 43:37.8 and Han 11.8 kilometers in 41:19.4 before both were pulled after being lapped. Under skiathlon rules, athletes who are caught by the leaders by a full lap are removed from the race. Both South Koreans reached the midpoint but were lapped afterward, falling short of their goal of finishing in the top 50. Lee passed the halfway mark in 22nd out of 70 but was overtaken as rivals surged in the freestyle portion. Lee and Han were listed 54th and 64th. Nordic powers dominated the medals. Sweden’s Frida Karlsson won gold in 53:45.2, followed by teammate Ebba Andersson in 54:36.2. Norway’s Heidi Weng took bronze in 55:11.9. The 10km + 10km skiathlon combines two techniques: classic skiing in set tracks and freestyle skating. Athletes switch from classic to freestyle at the midpoint. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-07 23:15:00
  • Swiss skier Franjo von Allmen wins first gold of Milan-Cortina Olympics in men’s downhill
    Swiss skier Franjo von Allmen wins first gold of Milan-Cortina Olympics in men’s downhill Switzerland’s Franjo von Allmen won the first gold medal of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, taking the men’s downhill on Friday at the Stelvio Ski Center in Bormio, Italy. Von Allmen finished in 1 minute, 51.61 seconds to beat 33 other starters. Born in 2001, he won gold in his first Olympic race. “It feels like a scene from a movie. It doesn’t feel real,” he said after the race. “It’s hard to put into words what this gold medal means to me. I think it will sink in a few days after the Games are over.” Von Allmen has competed on the International Ski and Snowboard Federation World Cup since 2023 and has five World Cup downhill wins across last season and this season. He also won the men’s downhill title at the Alpine skiing world championships in Saalbach, Austria, in February last year. He arrived in strong form after winning the final pre-Olympics World Cup downhill on Feb. 1 in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Switzerland have now won back-to-back Olympic men’s downhill golds, following Beat Feuz at the 2022 Beijing Games. Host nation Italy took silver and bronze in the first medal event of the Olympics. Giovanni Franzoni was second in 1:51.81, and Dominik Paris was third in 1:52.11. Swiss skier Marco Odermatt, who leads the men’s overall standings this season with three downhill wins, three giant slalom wins and two super-G victories, placed fourth in 1:52.31. 2026-02-07 21:27:00
  • South Korea’s culture minister says Milan Olympics opening ceremony felt “thrilling”
    South Korea’s culture minister says Milan Olympics opening ceremony felt “thrilling” South Korea’s culture minister, visiting venues for the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, said he felt “thrilled and proud” after attending the opening ceremony. Choi Hwi-young, minister of culture, sports and tourism, visited the Olympic Main Press Center (MPC) and International Broadcast Center (IBC) at the Allianz MiCo convention center in Milan on Friday morning local time, meeting and encouraging South Korean reporters covering the Games. “I attended the opening ceremony the day before, and you really feel something on site,” he said. “When the South Korean team marched in, I felt thrilled and proud.” Choi arrived in Italy on Feb. 4 and attended the opening ceremony at San Siro Olympic Stadium as the South Korean government’s representative. South Korea sent a 130-member delegation and entered 22nd among 92 national Olympic committees, led by flag bearers Cha Jun-hwan (figure skating) and Park Ji-woo (speed skating). Choi said he waved at the athletes as they entered the stadium and later saw himself on the broadcast. “I was just happy to see them and only clapped, but later I saw the camera caught me,” he said. “If I’d known, I think I would have held a Taegeukgi.” On Feb. 5, Choi visited a meal-support center in Milan and attended the opening of Korea House at Villa Necchi Campiglio. He said athletes had expressed disappointment with meals at the athletes village and hoped the meal-support center would open. “I tried it myself, and it was good,” he said, adding that heated lunch boxes will be introduced to help athletes. Choi planned to visit the Milan ice skating arena Friday afternoon to cheer for Cha during the men’s singles short program in the figure skating team event. He is scheduled to return to South Korea on Saturday after completing his itinerary. Choi also said he plans to visit the site again for the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Paralympics, which open March 6. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-07 21:00:00
  • Many Russian-Born Athletes Compete at Milan-Cortina Olympics After Switching Nationalities
    Many Russian-Born Athletes Compete at Milan-Cortina Olympics After Switching Nationalities Although Russia, stripped of eligibility by the International Olympic Committee, sent 13 athletes to the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Olympics as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN), the number of Russian-born competitors at the Games appears to be far higher. The Wall Street Journal reported Feb. 6 that many Russian-born athletes competing in Milan-Cortina changed nationality after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, concerned that nationality issues could block their Olympic medal hopes. Olympic historian Bill Mallon estimated about 40 Russian-born athletes are competing at these Olympics, more than triple the number entered under AIN status. Most are representing countries near Russia, including Kazakhstan, Armenia and Georgia, the report said. All three members of Moldova's biathlon team were born in Russia, making up more than half of Moldova's five-athlete delegation. Moldova is a small Eastern European country between Romania and Ukraine. About two-thirds of Georgia's delegation is also Russian-born, the WSJ said. It includes ice dancers Diana Davis and Gleb Smolkin, who competed for the Russian Olympic Committee at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. The newspaper said they had tried to skate for the United States but ultimately chose Georgia. In figure skating, long seen as a Russian strength, many Russian-born athletes have also switched nationalities. They are now spread across the teams of Australia, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain. In pairs, 28% of competitors are Russian-born. Some have criticized the nationality switches. Dmitry Vasiliev, a Russian biathlete, said, "You have only one homeland — the place you were born," adding, "Russians feel comfortable only in Russia," according to the report. IOC President Kirsty Coventry has also suggested Russia's ban could be lifted. In a speech to the IOC session on Feb. 3, Coventry did not mention Russia directly but said, "We are a sports organization," and stressed that sport should remain a neutral arena. The New York Times noted her remarks came as the IOC recently allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the 2026 Dakar Summer Youth Olympics, and as FIFA President Gianni Infantino argued Russia should return to international competitions. The NYT described the comments as a sign of a possible return for Russia, a sports power that has been sidelined for more than a decade, saying Russia's isolation in international sports may soon end.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-07 19:21:00
  • Figure skater Cha Jun-hwan named top most handsome male athlete for 2026 Milan Olympics list
    Figure skater Cha Jun-hwan named top 'most handsome' male athlete for 2026 Milan Olympics list South Korean figure skater Cha Jun-hwan (Seoul City Hall) has been picked as the No. 1 “most handsome” male athlete among competitors set to appear at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics. Vogue Hong Kong published a roundup on Thursday (local time) titled “2026 Milan Winter Olympics: 13 most handsome male athletes,” saying it was looking at standout male athletes representing countries around the world and releasing its ranking. The magazine placed Cha, a leading name in South Korea’s men’s singles program, at the top. It described him as having “sharp lines” and a “restrained” presence with a “clean, cool” look, adding that he “transforms into a completely different person” the moment he steps onto the ice. Vogue Hong Kong also noted Cha’s background as a child actor and model, saying his experience in front of the camera helps him deliver a polished performance. It said it expects “clean quad jumps” and “bolder step sequences” from him at the Games. Cha made his Olympic debut at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, finishing 15th in men’s singles. He climbed to fifth at the 2022 Beijing Games and is preparing for this Olympics with a medal as his goal. Others named on Vogue Hong Kong’s list included Norway cross-country skier Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, Japan snowboarder Ayumu Hirano, Hungary-born short-track skater Shaoang Liu, who competes for China, France ice dancer Guillaume Cizeron, Italy men’s singles skater Daniel Grassl and U.S. men’s singles skater Ilia Malinin. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-07 18:27:00
  • Norovirus spreads at Milan-Cortina Olympics, Swiss women’s hockey player tests positive
    Norovirus spreads at Milan-Cortina Olympics, Swiss women’s hockey player tests positive Norovirus infections are spreading at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, following a cluster in Finland’s women’s ice hockey team and a new case in Switzerland’s women’s team. The AP reported that one Swiss women’s player tested positive for norovirus and that the entire team was placed in isolation, causing them to miss the Olympic opening ceremony. The player returned a positive test after Switzerland’s game against the Czech Republic on Feb. 6. Finland’s women’s team was hit ahead of the opening. As a result, its game against Canada that had been scheduled for Feb. 5 was postponed to Feb. 12. At the time, 13 Finnish players were isolated, leaving only eight skaters and two goalies able to take part in training. With the number in isolation later dropping to nine, Finland trained with 11 skaters and three goalies. Finland is expected to play the United States as scheduled on Feb. 8. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-07 16:36:00
  • South Korea’s Shin Ji-a Debuts at Olympics in Figure Skating Team Event
    South Korea’s Shin Ji-a Debuts at Olympics in Figure Skating Team Event South Korea’s top women’s singles figure skater, Shin Ji-a (Sehwa Girls’ High School), will make her Olympic debut on Thursday as the figure skating team event begins. Shin is scheduled to skate the women’s singles short program in the team event at 9:35 p.m. (Korea time) at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Italy at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics. A standout since her junior days, Shin won silver at the International Skating Union (ISU) World Junior Championships four straight years from 2022 to 2025. This season, however, she has struggled somewhat in international events amid physical changes. She did not contend for medals in two ISU Grand Prix events and finished sixth at last month’s Four Continents Championships. After arriving in Milan on Wednesday, Shin said she had regained confidence. “I think I made up for it to some extent in the free skating at the Four Continents Championships, and I got my confidence back,” she said. Only 10 countries qualify for the figure skating team event based on international results. South Korea are competing for the first time since the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, but without a pairs team they will skate only men’s and women’s singles and ice dance, making a podium finish difficult. The event is expected to help athletes preparing for the individual competition get used to the arena atmosphere and ice conditions. Shin will perform her short program to Chopin’s Nocturne No. 20. Before the women’s short program, Lim Hae-na and Kwon Ye (Gyeonggi Province) will skate in the team event ice dance at 5:55 p.m. In curling mixed doubles, the South Korean pair of Kim Sun-young (Gangneung City Hall) and Jeong Young-seok (Gangwon Province Office) will play Britain in their fourth round-robin game at 10:35 p.m. at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium. Kim and Jeong have lost all three of their matches so far.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-06 06:57:00
  • Korea House Opens in Central Milan for 2026 Winter Olympics Cultural, Sports Exchange
    Korea House Opens in Central Milan for 2026 Winter Olympics Cultural, Sports Exchange Korea House, a venue for sports diplomacy and promoting K-culture during the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo 2026 Winter Olympics, has opened in central Milan. An opening ceremony was held Feb. 5 (local time) at Villa Necchi Campiglio in downtown Milan. The villa is a modern architectural landmark designed in the 1930s and now operates as a museum. During the Games, Korea House is set to serve as a base for cheering on South Korea’s athletes and a key site for showcasing Korean culture. Attendees included Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Choi Hwi Young; Korean Sport & Olympic Committee President Yoo Seung Min; Kim Jae Yeol, president of the International Skating Union, who was elected the previous day as an International Olympic Committee executive board member; Ban Ki Moon, former chair of the IOC Ethics Commission; and officials from the South Korean delegation. In remarks, Choi said it was meaningful to welcome guests to a Korea House that brings together South Korea’s tradition and modernity in a venue “alive with aesthetics and elegance.” He urged visitors to experience the country’s stories through K-culture, including music, food and clothing. Yoo said Korea House is “not just a space,” calling it a place where visitors can enjoy the diversity of Korean culture. He asked guests to spend time at Korea House and cheer for South Korean athletes. Kim, who received congratulations from Choi and Yoo on his IOC executive board election, offered congratulations on the opening on behalf of IOC President Kirsty Coventry. He expressed gratitude for South Korea’s contributions to the Olympic movement and said he hoped for continued cooperation. The opening ceremony featured a hanbok fashion show hosted by the Korea Craft & Design Foundation and a K-pop cover dance performance. Upbit, a sponsor of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, also delivered a donation to support the development of winter sports. The ministry and the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee have operated Korea House since the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics. Initially used for team support, medalist interviews and sports diplomacy, it was expanded after the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics into a multipurpose cultural venue with broad participation from private and public institutions. This Korea House can be visited through advance reservations on its website or on-site registration, and it will operate through the Olympic closing day on the 22nd. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-06 03:06:00
  • Finland-Canada Women’s Hockey Game at Milan Olympics Postponed After Norovirus Cases
    Finland-Canada Women’s Hockey Game at Milan Olympics Postponed After Norovirus Cases A women’s ice hockey game at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics has been postponed after a norovirus outbreak.  The Milan-Cortina organizing committee said Wednesday that Finland’s Group A preliminary-round game against Canada, scheduled for that day at the Milan Rho Ice Hockey Arena, was moved back one week to Feb. 12.  The committee said it decided to delay the game after norovirus cases were reported within the Finland team. “This decision was made with the health and safety of all participants, including athletes, teams and staff, in mind,” the committee said.  Under international rules, a team needs at least 17 players, including two goalies, to play. Finland had 13 people in isolation and only 10 available, including both goalies, prompting the postponement. Finland said it was prepared to accept a forfeit if the game had not been delayed.  * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-06 00:18:00