Journalist

Kang Sang Heon
  • South Korea’s Kim Sang-gyeom Wins Olympic Silver in Men’s Parallel Giant Slalom
    South Korea’s Kim Sang-gyeom Wins Olympic Silver in Men’s Parallel Giant Slalom Kim Sang-gyeom, a snowboarder who kept chasing his Olympic dream while working construction day jobs to make ends meet, has won a long-awaited silver medal at age 37. Kim took silver in the men’s parallel giant slalom final at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics on Feb. 8 (Korea time) at Livigno Snow Park in Italy. It was the first medal for South Korea’s team at these Olympics. Kim’s path to the podium was marked by years of financial strain. As a child, he struggled with asthma and started track and field to improve his health. In his second year of middle school, he took up snowboarding at a physical education teacher’s suggestion. After graduating from Korea National Sport University in 2011, he found it difficult to continue as an athlete without a corporate team. During training seasons, he worked part-time one day each weekend, and in the offseason he took daily construction labor jobs. He showed early promise by winning the parallel giant slalom at the 2011 Erzurum Winter Universiade in Turkey, but the Olympics proved tougher. At the 2014 Sochi Games, he became the first South Korean to compete in the event but finished 17th in qualifying and missed the round of 16. At the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, he lost in the round of 16. At the 2022 Beijing Games, he placed 24th in qualifying and again failed to reach the round of 16. His best finish at the world championships was fourth in the parallel giant slalom in 2021. Kim’s results improved in his mid-30s. In November 2024, he won a World Cup silver medal in Meilin, China, his first World Cup medal in 15 years on the circuit. He added a bronze medal in March last year in Krynica, Poland. In his fourth Olympics, Kim advanced from qualifying in eighth place and moved into the 16-rider bracket. In the quarterfinals, he upset Roland Fischnaller of Italy, the No. 1 rider in this season’s World Cup rankings. Kim reached the final and lost to Benjamin Karl of Austria by 0.19 seconds to secure silver. In a postrace interview, Kim said, “I finally did it. I’m really happy. I’m so glad to win a medal at my fourth Olympics. Today I rode at more than 90 points.” Asked who he thought of most at the moment he won the medal, Kim mentioned his wife, tearing up as he spoke. “Thank you for waiting,” he said. “My family gave me so much strength. Thanks to the many people who believed in me, I didn’t give up and made it this far. I’ll hang this medal on my mom, dad and my wife,” he said with a smile. “Snowboarding is my life,” Kim said. “There’s still a lot to get through. But I believe if I keep at it, there will be better results.” Kim’s medal also marked a milestone for South Korean winter sports. South Korea’s ski and snowboard athletes added a medal in the same event for the first time in eight years, after Lee Sang-ho won silver in the parallel giant slalom at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games for the country’s first Olympic podium finish in skiing and snowboarding. The silver was also South Korea’s 400th Olympic medal. South Korea won its first Olympic medal at the 1948 London Summer Olympics, when weightlifter Kim Seong-jip took bronze. Through the 2024 Paris Games, South Korea had won 320 Summer Olympic medals (109 gold, 100 silver, 111 bronze). Through the 2022 Beijing Games, it had won 79 Winter Olympic medals (33 gold, 30 silver, 16 bronze), for a total of 399. Kim’s silver pushed the overall count to 400. 2026-02-09 08:15:00
  • South Korea’s Cha Jun-hwan, Shin Jia gain team-event experience, eye Olympic singles medals
    South Korea’s Cha Jun-hwan, Shin Jia gain team-event experience, eye Olympic singles medals South Korea’s figure skating standouts Cha Jun-hwan and Shin Jia used the team event as a tune-up, getting a feel for the Olympic ice and atmosphere ahead of the singles competition. South Korea finished seventh with 14 points in the figure skating team event at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics on Saturday (Korea time) at the Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy. The top five advanced to the final segment (free skating and free dance), and South Korea did not qualify. Cha placed eighth in the men’s short program. His key mistake came on the final jump element, a triple axel, when he lost rotation on takeoff and turned it into a single axel (one and a half rotations). Under short program rules, skaters must attempt a double axel or triple axel for the element to count, so it was scored as zero. Afterward, Cha told reporters in the mixed zone, “It’s disappointing that I made a mistake on the third jump (the triple axel). I want to think of it as a vaccine shot ahead of the individual event.” He added, “It’s frustrating because it’s not something I usually do, but I’m satisfied because the other elements were about as good as in practice. I’ll make up for it in the individual event.” Cha will skate the men’s short program on Feb. 11, with medals decided in the free skate on Feb. 14. Shin, competing in her first Olympics, boosted expectations with a steady performance in the women’s short program on Feb. 6, finishing fourth. After a clean skate, she clenched her fist in celebration. In a broadcaster interview, Shin said she tried not to dwell on the Olympic stage. “I thought I’d get nervous if I kept thinking it was the Olympics, so I controlled my mindset and told myself it was a competition I always do,” she said. “That helped me skate like I usually do.” She added, “The team event helped me find my rhythm. I’ll carry that momentum into the individual event and show everything I can do.” Shin is scheduled to skate the women’s short program on Feb. 18, aiming for South Korea’s first Olympic figure skating medal in 16 years since Kim Yu-na. The free skate is set for Feb. 20. 2026-02-08 11:36:00
  • Cha Jun-hwan’s jump error leaves South Korea out of Olympic figure skating team final
    Cha Jun-hwan’s jump error leaves South Korea out of Olympic figure skating team final South Korea’s top men’s figure skater, Cha Jun-hwan of Seoul City Hall, stumbled in his first appearance at his third Olympics, finishing eighth in the men’s short program of the figure skating team event. Cha scored 83.53 points on Saturday (Korea time) at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics. He earned 41.78 points in technical elements and 41.75 in program components, placing eighth among 10 skaters. The team event is a nation-based competition across four disciplines — men’s and women’s singles, pairs and ice dance. Points are awarded by placement in each segment (10 to 1), and the top five teams advance to the final (free skating and free dance). South Korea returned to the Olympic team event for the first time since the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. South Korea had 11 points after Friday’s segments: ice dancers Lim Hae-na and Kwon Ye placed seventh (four points), and women’s singles skater Shin Ji-a placed fourth (seven). South Korea did not enter a pairs team and received zero points; it was the only team-event nation without an entry in one discipline. To reach the top five, South Korea needed Cha to finish in the top two in men’s singles to add nine or 10 points. His eighth-place result ended South Korea’s chances. The team finished seventh overall. Skating fifth, Cha performed his short program to “Rain in Your Black Eyes.” He opened with a clean quadruple Salchow, then landed a triple Lutz-triple loop combination. His flying camel spin earned Level 4. But he made a costly mistake on his final jump, the triple Axel. He lost rotation on takeoff and completed only a single Axel. The men’s short program requires either a double Axel or triple Axel; Cha’s single Axel was scored zero. He finished with a change-foot combination spin and a step sequence, both graded Level 4. Yuma Kagiyama of Japan won the segment with 108.67 points. Ilia Malinin of the United States was second with 98.00. The five teams advancing to the free programs were the United States (34 points), Japan (33), Italy (28), Canada (27) and Georgia (25).* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-08 05:42:22
  • Italy Sets €180,000 Bonus for Gold at Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics
    Italy Sets €180,000 Bonus for Gold at Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics Italy, the host of the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, has set medal bonuses of 180,000 euros (about 312 million won) for gold, 90,000 euros (about 156 million won) for silver and 60,000 euros (about 100 million won) for bronze. Forbes reported on Feb. 7 (Korea time) that the Italian National Olympic Committee, known as CONI, approved the payouts, matching the amounts offered for the Paris Olympics two years ago. The first Italian athlete to earn the gold bonus was speedskater Francesca Lollobrigida. She won the women’s 3,000 meters on Feb. 8 at the speedskating venue in Milan, setting an Olympic record of 3 minutes, 54.28 seconds. Competing in her fourth straight Winter Olympics — after Sochi 2014, Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing 2022 — Lollobrigida captured her first Olympic gold and delivered Italy’s first gold medal of these Games. Local reports said Italy’s medal target for the event is at least 19. From the first Winter Olympics in Chamonix in 1924 through the Beijing Games in 2022, Italy won 141 Winter Olympic medals: 42 gold, 43 silver and 56 bronze.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-08 02:54:00
  • South Korea mixed doubles curling team falls to Czech Republic for fifth straight round-robin loss
    South Korea mixed doubles curling team falls to Czech Republic for fifth straight round-robin loss South Korea’s mixed doubles curling pair Kim Seon Yeong (Gangneung City Hall) and Jeong Yeong Seok (Gangwon Province Office) lost again in round-robin play at the 2026 Milano-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, dropping their fifth straight match. Kim and Jeong fell 9-4 to the Czech team of Julie Zelingrova and Vit Havlicovsky on Friday (Korea time) at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. South Korea had previously lost 10-3 to Sweden, 8-4 to Italy, 8-5 to Switzerland and 8-2 to Britain. The defeat to the Czech Republic left the team at the bottom of the standings. Ten teams are competing in mixed doubles, with one man and one woman per team. After a round-robin in which each team plays the others once, the top four advance to the semifinals and final to determine the medals. South Korea gave up two points in the first end. With last stone in the second, it had a chance for a big score but managed only one point. The team tied it 2-2 in the third by stealing a point after a precise freeze shot. The Czech Republic pulled away in the fourth, taking two points for a 4-2 lead, then stole two more in the fifth after Jeong missed his final shot. Trailing 6-2, South Korea used its one power play of the game in the sixth end and scored two to close the gap, but surrendered three in the seventh and lost 9-4. Kim and Jeong are scheduled to play the United States at 3:05 a.m. Saturday.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-08 00:42:00
  • South Korea Mixed Doubles Curlers Fall to Britain for Fourth Straight Round-Robin Loss
    South Korea Mixed Doubles Curlers Fall to Britain for Fourth Straight Round-Robin Loss South Korea’s mixed doubles curling pair Kim Seon Yeong (Gangneung City Hall) and Jeong Yeong Seok (Gangwon Provincial Office) lost again in round-robin play at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics. Kim and Jeong fell 8-2 to Britain’s Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat on Thursday (Korea time) at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, dropping to 0-4. South Korea previously lost 10-3 to Sweden, 8-4 to Italy and 8-5 to Switzerland and remained at the bottom of the standings. Ten teams are competing in mixed doubles, with each nation playing a round-robin schedule once. The top four advance to the semifinals and final to determine the medals. South Korea trailed early, giving up two points in the first end and one more in the second for a 3-0 deficit. It scored one in the third, but allowed two in the fourth to fall behind 5-1. In the fifth end, South Korea used its one-time power play, which allows the team with last stone to change the pre-set stone placement to try for multiple points. The move backfired, and Britain scored two more. With the comeback out of reach, Kim and Jeong ended the match by shaking hands with their opponents. Kim and Jeong are scheduled to face the Czech Republic at 10:35 p.m. Friday as they seek their first win.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-07 00:30:00
  • South Korea’s Shin Ji-a places fourth in women’s short program at Olympic team event
    South Korea’s Shin Ji-a places fourth in women’s short program at Olympic team event South Korea’s women’s singles skater Shin Ji-a (Sehwa Girls’ High School) made a solid Olympic debut on Thursday in the figure skating team event. Shin finished fourth in the women’s short program at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Milan, scoring 68.80 points (37.93 technical, 30.87 program components). Her result earned South Korea seven points in the segment, leaving the team seventh overall with 11 points. Earlier, Lim Hae-na and Kwon Ye (Gyeonggi Provincial Government) placed seventh in the rhythm dance with 70.55 points to collect four points. Ten countries are competing in the team event across men’s and women’s singles, pairs and ice dance. Points are awarded by placement in each segment (10 to 1), and the top five advance to the final round (free skating and free dance) to decide the medals. South Korea are competing in the Olympic team event for the first time since the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. Without a pairs team, South Korea are entering only men’s and women’s singles and ice dance, the only team in the field missing an event. Skating fourth, Shin performed her short program to “Nocturne.” She opened with a clean triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination for a base value of 10.10 and 1.10 in grade of execution. She landed a double Axel and earned level 4 on her flying camel spin. In the second half, where elements receive a 10% bonus, she completed a triple flip without a major error for 0.68 in GOE. She closed with a level 4 change-foot combination spin, a level 3 step sequence and a level 3 layback spin. Kaori Sakamoto of Japan won the segment with 78.88 points. Alysa Liu of the United States was second with 74.90, and Italy’s Lara Naki Gutmann placed third with 71.62.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-06 23:45:00
  • WADA to Review Claims of Hyaluronic Acid Injections to Game Ski Jump Suit Measurements
    WADA to Review Claims of Hyaluronic Acid Injections to Game Ski Jump Suit Measurements A controversy over alleged “penis enlargement injections” in ski jumping erupted a day before the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics open. The World Anti-Doping Agency said it will review the allegations. On Feb. 5 (local time), German outlet Bild, citing an anonymous source, reported claims that some ski jumpers inject hyaluronic acid into their genitals or put clay in their underwear before suit measurements to temporarily increase the recorded size. Ski jumping is a sport in which the suit can significantly affect results. Under the rules, suit size is set based on an athlete’s body measurements. Even a small increase in measured size can allow a slightly larger suit surface area, which can provide an aerodynamic advantage and increase distance. According to the scientific journal Frontiers, increasing suit size by 2 centimeters can extend jump distance by up to 5.8 meters. In a related BBC report, Sandro Pertile, race director at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, said, “In jump suits, even 1 centimeter matters. If the surface area of the suit increases by just 5%, you can fly farther.” Hyaluronic acid is not currently a banned substance. WADA Director General Olivier Niggli said he does not know whether such actions improve performance, but added that “if anything is actually revealed,” the agency will examine whether it raises a doping-related issue.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-06 23:30:00
  • Lim Hae Na-Kwon Ye place seventh in Olympic team event rhythm dance, earn 4 points
    Lim Hae Na-Kwon Ye place seventh in Olympic team event rhythm dance, earn 4 points Lim Hae Na and Kwon Ye finished seventh in the ice dance rhythm dance in the figure skating team event at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics. Skating on Feb. 6 (Korea time) at the Milan Ice Skating Arena, the South Korean duo scored 70.55 points, with 39.54 in technical elements and 31.01 in program components. They placed seventh among 10 teams and earned four ranking points. The team event is a nation-by-nation competition across four disciplines: men's and women's singles, pairs and ice dance. Points are awarded by placement in each segment (10 to 1), and the top five countries advance to the final (free skating and free dance) to decide the overall standings. South Korea are competing in the Olympic figure skating team event for the first time since the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. With no pairs team, South Korea are entering only men's and women's singles and ice dance, making them the only team in the event missing a discipline. Skating fifth overall, Lim and Kwon performed their rhythm dance to "Men in Black." In the sequential twizzles, the first required element, they received Level 4 and Level 3. Their pattern dance type step sequence was Level 1, and their midline step sequence earned Level 2 for each skater. They completed a rotational lift at Level 4 and finished with a choreographic rhythm sequence at Level 1. Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States won the segment with 91.06 points. France's Laurence Fournier and Guillaume Cizeron were second with 89.98, and Britain's Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson were third with 86.85.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-06 20:06:00
  • Forbes: Freestyle skier Eileen Gu tops Milan-Cortina Olympic athletes with US$23 million in annual earnings
    Forbes: Freestyle skier Eileen Gu tops Milan-Cortina Olympic athletes with US$23 million in annual earnings Freestyle skier Eileen Gu of China has been named the highest annual earner among star athletes expected to compete at the 2026 Milan·Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics. Forbes reported on Thursday (Korea time) that Gu made US$23 million over the past year, the most among athletes headed to the Games. Gu, born in California to an American father and a Chinese mother, graduated from Stanford University. After competing in the United States, she joined China's national team in 2019. She won two gold medals and one silver at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, becoming a household name in China. At the upcoming Olympics, she is aiming for a second straight title and three gold medals in big air, halfpipe and slopestyle. Forbes said only about $100,000 of her earnings came from prize money. Most of her income came from modeling and endorsements, largely with Chinese brands, the magazine reported. Gu has more than 2.1 million followers on social media, according to the report. Second on the list was NHL player Auston Matthews of the United States. Forbes said he is the only NHL player to top $20 million in its annual earnings rankings, adding that Nike and Uber Eats are among his main sponsors. Third was U.S. skier Lindsey Vonn, whose annual earnings were estimated at $8 million. Vonn retired in 2019 and returned to competition in the 2024-2025 season. Forbes said she has worked with more than 12 brands, including Delta Air Lines, Land Rover and Rolex. Vonn, 42, will try to become the oldest alpine skiing medalist in Olympic history at the Games.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-06 19:45:00