Journalist

Park Seung-ho
  • Short-track double gold medalist Kim Gil-li returns home, turns focus to worlds
    Short-track double gold medalist Kim Gil-li returns home, turns focus to worlds South Korea’s women’s national short-track team returned home from the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics on Feb. 24 and said it will quickly shift back into training for the upcoming world championships. According to the sport’s officials, the women’s team arrived at Incheon International Airport’s Terminal 2 on Tuesday afternoon with the main national delegation, including Korean Sport & Olympic Committee President Yu Seung-min. The team reclaimed the women’s 3,000-meter relay gold for the first time in eight years, winning with a late comeback. Kim Gil-li of Seongnam City Hall, who added the 1,500-meter gold to her relay title to become a double champion, told the crowd at the airport, “It feels like I’m experiencing what it’s like to be a celebrity.” Nicknamed “LamborGil-li,” she was also selected as the Korean delegation’s most valuable player at the Games. Living up to the nickname, Kim received ceremonial service from Lamborghini Korea and left the airport in a sports car. “To finish perfectly through the world championships, I plan to start training again from Sunday,” she said. Choi Min-jeong of Seongnam City Hall, who set a new record for the most Olympic medals by a South Korean across the Winter and Summer Games with seven, said she had doubted she could reach the mark before leaving for Milan. “Thanks to the support from so many people, I was able to do it,” she said. Choi added that she is satisfied with her results after three Olympics and will “cheer a lot” for Kim going forward. Shim Suk-hee of Seoul City Hall, who helped the relay team win gold after what the article described as a difficult period, said the result was possible because the athletes endured. “Thanks to those who always believed in me and supported me more than I did, I’ve been able to come this far,” she said, adding she will continue to show strong performances. The men’s national short-track team, which also returned home Tuesday, said it will begin preparations for the world championships as well. Hwang Dae-heon of Gangwon Province, who won two silver medals including in the 5,000-meter relay, said he was honored to win an individual-event medal at a third straight Olympics. “With the world championships still ahead, we’ll take time to regroup so our national team can show a good performance,” he said.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-24 20:09:00
  • Eileen Gu Wins Olympic Halfpipe Gold Again at Milan-Cortina Games
    Eileen Gu Wins Olympic Halfpipe Gold Again at Milan-Cortina Games Eileen Gu of China won the women’s freestyle ski halfpipe at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, securing her second straight Olympic title in the event. Gu scored 94.75 in the final on Feb. 22 (Korea time) at Livigno Snow Park in Italy. China’s Li Fanghui took silver with 93.00, and Britain’s Zoe Atkin won bronze with 92.50. The final, originally scheduled for Feb. 21, was postponed a day because of heavy snow. Gu advanced to the final in fifth place from qualifying. She opened with 30.00, then jumped into first with 94.00 on her second run and improved to 94.75 on her third to seal the win. Gu had already won silver in slopestyle and big air at these Games, finishing with one gold and two silvers. Including the 2022 Beijing Olympics, she now has three golds and three silvers for six Olympic medals. The total gives Gu the most Olympic gold medals in freestyle skiing, men or women. Her six medals also move her past Mikael Kingsbury of Canada and Xu Mengtao of China, who each had five, for the most in the sport. Despite major differences among freestyle disciplines, Gu has reached the podium in every event she entered across her two Olympics. Born to an American father and a Chinese mother and competing for China, Gu was also known as the highest-earning athlete at these Games, with Forbes estimating her income over the past year at $23 million (about 33.3 billion won). At a news conference on Feb. 18, asked about disappointment over her two silvers, Gu said she is the most decorated female freestyle skier in Olympic history and said it was hard to agree with the view that she had missed out on medals. South Korea’s Kim Da-eun (Kyung Hee University) and Lee So-young (Sangdong High School) were eliminated in qualifying in women’s freeski halfpipe. In women’s snowboard halfpipe, South Korea’s Choi Ga-on (Sehwa High School) earlier won gold, the country’s first in a snow sport event.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-22 23:39:00
  • South Korea’s Four-Man Bobsled Team Finishes Eighth as Olympic Schedule Ends
    South Korea’s Four-Man Bobsled Team Finishes Eighth as Olympic Schedule Ends South Korea’s national bobsleigh team wrapped up the country’s final event of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics with an eighth-place finish in the men’s four-man race. The South Korean sled piloted by Kim Jin-su, with Kim Hyeong-geun, Kim Seon-uk and Lee Geon-woo, placed eighth on Saturday (Korea time) at the Cortina Sliding Center in Italy, based on combined times from four heats. Kim’s crew posted a total of 2 minutes, 44.25 seconds over the first three heats, advancing to the fourth and final run reserved for the top 20 teams among 27 countries. Kim competed as a brakeman at the 2022 Beijing Games and reached the top 10 in his first Olympics as a pilot. A second South Korean sled, piloted by Seok Young-jin, finished 23rd after three heats and did not qualify for the final run. The race marked the last competition for the South Korean delegation at these Olympics. Germany swept the medals. Johannes Lochner’s team, which won gold in the two-man event, also took four-man gold to claim a second title at the Games. Francesco Friedrich’s team earned silver again after taking silver in the two-man race. Switzerland’s Michael Vogt won bronze. Germany finished the Games with six gold medals across sliding events — bobsleigh, luge and skeleton.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-22 21:51:00
  • Korea Meets Gold Target at Milan-Cortina Olympics, Calls for Better Facilities and Funding
    Korea Meets Gold Target at Milan-Cortina Olympics, Calls for Better Facilities and Funding South Korea’s Olympic team held a wrap-up news conference to review its results at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics and outline sport-by-sport priorities. Yoo Seung-min, president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, and head of delegation Lee Soo-kyung attended the news conference Feb. 22 (Korea time) at Korea House in Milan. South Korea won three gold, four silver and three bronze medals, improving on its Beijing results of two gold, five silver and two bronze. Yoo cited meeting the team’s goal of three gold medals and said a full set of medals in snowboarding — one gold, one silver and one bronze — helped reduce the team’s heavy reliance on ice sports. He also pointed to poor training conditions as a key task going forward. Yoo said South Korea’s first Olympic gold in snowboarding was achieved through overseas training despite lacking basic facilities at home, such as a dedicated air mat, and called for policy-level support for facilities and budgets beyond what individual federations can provide. He also pledged a more detailed support system for speed skating, biathlon and cross-country skiing. Lee, who is also president of the Korea Skating Union, reviewed the performance of the national ice teams and said training methods and infrastructure need to be strengthened. Lee said the short track team showed signs of declining stamina as the competition went on despite strong technical ability, and said she plans to discuss training options with the athletes’ village within a framework that respects athletes’ rights. On speed skating, she cited limits of individualized training and problems caused by not reflecting European training conditions, and called for improving the poor domestic environment — including having only one speed skating rink — and for broader talks on systematic athlete development. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-22 21:45:45
  • Short Track’s Kim Gil-li Named South Korea Team MVP at Milan 2026; Korea Finishes With 10 Medals
    Short Track’s Kim Gil-li Named South Korea Team MVP at Milan 2026; Korea Finishes With 10 Medals South Korean short track speed skater Kim Gil-li (Seongnam City Hall) was selected as the national team’s most valuable player at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics. The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee announced the honor at the team’s wrap-up ceremony held Feb. 22 (Korea time) at Korea House in Milan. Kim received more than 80% support in a vote by reporters covering the Games, beating snowboard halfpipe gold medalist Choi Ga-on (Sehwa Girls’ High School). Kim won gold in the women’s 3,000-meter relay and the 1,500 meters, and added bronze in the 1,000, finishing with three medals (two gold, one bronze). “I just tried my best in every race, and the results followed,” Kim said. “It still doesn’t feel real that it’s over, but I’ll set my next goal and keep growing as an athlete.” About 40 people attended the ceremony, including KSOC President Yoo Seung-min, head of delegation Lee Soo-kyung and Culture, Sports and Tourism Vice Minister Kim Dae-hyun. Yoo said the athletes’ focus and fighting spirit “moved us beyond the results.” National Training Center director Kim Taek-soo, in a performance report, cited maintaining South Korea’s strength in ice sports while making major progress in snow events. South Korea sent 71 athletes across six sports and finished with 10 medals: three gold, four silver and three bronze. The main delegation is scheduled to return to South Korea on Feb. 24 via Incheon International Airport. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-22 20:12:00
  • AFP Highlights Six Standout Athletes of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics
    AFP Highlights Six Standout Athletes of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics With the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics set to close on the 23rd (Korean time), AFP on the 22nd named six athletes who drew attention during the Games. Leading the list was Swiss alpine skier Franjo von Allmen, who won the first gold medal of the Games and finished as a three-time champion in alpine skiing. AFP noted his path to the top: after his father died when he was 17 and his family faced hardship, he worked as a carpenter at construction sites for four years while pursuing his skiing career. Norway’s Johannes Klaebo, who swept six gold medals in cross-country skiing, was also selected. After winning five golds across the previous two Olympics, Klaebo added six more in Milan-Cortina, becoming the first athlete to win six golds at a single Winter Games and setting a new record for most career Winter Olympic gold medals with 11. U.S. figure skaters Alysa Liu and Ilia Malinin were chosen as well. Liu retired after the 2022 Beijing Olympics after being diagnosed with burnout, then returned after about two years away and delivered the United States its first Olympic women’s singles gold in 24 years, finishing with two titles including the team event. Malinin, the only skater expected to land a quadruple Axel, helped the U.S. win the team event but placed eighth in the individual competition after mistakes. AFP also highlighted athletes who made headlines beyond medals. Lindsey Vonn, competing at the Olympics for the first time in eight years, was flown out by helicopter after hitting a gate early in the women’s downhill. She underwent five surgeries for a fractured left knee — four in Italy and one in the United States — and wrote on social media, “I look forward to the moment I stand on the top of the mountain again,” signaling her intent to return. The final selection was Ukrainian sled athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych, who was disqualified for violating International Olympic Committee rules after trying to wear a “tribute helmet” bearing photos of Ukrainian soldiers killed in Russia’s invasion. After the disqualification, he received a Freedom Order from the Ukrainian government and also received a $200,000 donation (about 290 million won) from a businessman.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-22 17:06:19
  • Norway’s Johannes Klaebo wins record six golds at one Winter Olympics, brings total to 11
    Norway’s Johannes Klaebo wins record six golds at one Winter Olympics, brings total to 11 Norway’s Johannes Klaebo set a Winter Olympics record by winning six gold medals at a single Games. Klaebo won the men’s 50-kilometer mass start at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on Feb. 21 (Korean time) at the cross-country stadium in Tesero, Italy, finishing in 2 hours, 6 minutes, 44.8 seconds. The victory completed a sweep of all six cross-country events he entered: skiathlon (10km plus 10km), sprint classic, 10km interval start free, 4x7.5km relay, team sprint and the 50km mass start. His six golds broke the previous record for most titles at one Winter Olympics, set by American speedskater Eric Heiden with five at the 1980 Lake Placid Games. Klaebo also raised his career Olympic gold total to 11 after winning three in Pyeongchang in 2018 and two in Beijing in 2022, extending his own record for the most Winter Olympic gold medals. In the 50km mass start, Klaebo trailed Norwegian teammate Martin Loewstroem Nyenget by 0.1 seconds at the 48.6km mark. He then covered the final 1.4km, which included a climb, in 4:33.8 to pull away and win by 8.9 seconds. Nyenget took silver in 2:06:53.7, and Emil Iversen won bronze in 2:07:15.5, giving Norway a sweep of the podium. Klaebo debuted on the senior circuit in the 2015-16 International Ski Federation cross-country World Cup season and became the youngest overall World Cup champion at age 20. At these Games, he won both sprint and distance events to set new Olympic marks.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-21 23:06:00
  • South Korea’s Lee Seung-hoon vows comeback after ACL tear ends Olympic halfpipe run
    South Korea’s Lee Seung-hoon vows comeback after ACL tear ends Olympic halfpipe run Lee Seung-hoon, who made history as the first South Korean to reach an Olympic final in freeskiing, said he is focused on recovery after an unexpected injury ended his 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics. After completing his Olympic schedule, Lee (Korea National Sport University) wrote on social media on the 21st that he had a fever and flu-like symptoms from the morning of competition day and began final practice with an injured right shoulder after the qualifying round. He said he hurt his knee after a bad landing during practice. “I went back up to try to ride at least the third run, but the injury was more serious than I thought, so I decided to go to the hospital,” he wrote. Tests showed a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, damage to the lateral cartilage and a lateral bone bruise. Lee also described the disappointment of missing the final. “When I realized something was wrong after I fell, I didn’t want to give up the Olympic final stage I had dreamed of,” he wrote. “I prepared for the Olympics doing my best so I wouldn’t have regrets. I wanted to show everything I had and compete without regrets.” He added that accepting the situation was difficult, but said he would move on quickly and commit to rehabilitation “to work for what comes next.” Earlier, Lee scored 76 points in qualifying to place 10th, becoming the first South Korean to advance to an Olympic freeski final. He credited those who helped him reach his second Olympics and said he was glad to close out his run in the pipe event, adding, “I’ll recover with strength,” as he wrapped up his Milan Winter Olympics journey.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-21 21:06:00
  • IOC Apologizes After Incorrect South Korean Flags Used at Short Track Medal Ceremonies
    IOC Apologizes After Incorrect South Korean Flags Used at Short Track Medal Ceremonies The Korean Olympic Committee said it secured an official apology and immediate corrective action from the International Olympic Committee and the organizing committee after an incorrect South Korean flag was repeatedly displayed at Olympic short track medal ceremonies. On Feb. 20 (Korea time), the KOC said it lodged a formal protest with the IOC and organizers and demanded prompt fixes over the inaccurate flag used during ceremonies at the short track venue. The misprinted flag showed the taegeuk symbol in the center tilted counterclockwise. It was used four times: the men’s 1,000 meters medal ceremony on Feb. 13, where Lim Jong-eon won bronze; the men’s 1,500 meters on Feb. 15, where Hwang Dae-heon won silver; the women’s 1,000 meters on Feb. 16, where Kim Gil-li won bronze; and the women’s 3,000-meter relay on Feb. 19, where South Korea won gold. The KOC said it visited IOC and organizing committee offices in the athletes’ village with the officially approved flag specifications and showed that the design used at ceremonies did not match the approved version, pressing for changes. The IOC and organizers acknowledged an error in the local printing process and apologized, the KOC said. They reprinted the correct flag and completed the necessary steps before competition, and began using the corrected flag starting with the women’s 1,500 meters and men’s 5,000-meter relay medal ceremonies. The KOC said it sent an official letter urging measures to prevent a repeat and calling for a full recheck of flag specifications across all venues at the Milan Winter Olympics.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-21 20:00:00
  • China’s Lin Xiaojun Ends Milan Olympics Without a Medal, Says Past With Hwang Dae-heon Is Behind Him
    China’s Lin Xiaojun Ends Milan Olympics Without a Medal, Says Past With Hwang Dae-heon Is Behind Him China short track skater Lin Xiaojun finished his first Olympics in eight years without a medal. Lin skated Saturday (Korea time) in the men’s 5,000-meter relay B final at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics at the Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, closing out his competition. He failed to reach the finals in the 500, 1,000 and 1,500 meters and was left off the lineup for the mixed 2,000-meter relay, ending the Games without a medal. Speaking to reporters in the mixed zone, Lin said it was his first Olympics since Pyeongchang 2018. “There were moments I wanted to give up, but short track was my whole life,” he said. “I’m disappointed I didn’t get the results I wanted, but the process of not giving up and pushing through matters. I did my best, so I have no regrets.” Lin also addressed his relationship with South Korea’s Hwang Dae-heon, with whom he was involved in a past incident. “I don’t have any particular feelings or thoughts about him. What happened is in the past,” Lin said. “I believe happier days are ahead, and I want to show that I’m doing my best as an athlete.” Lin, the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic champion in the men’s 1,500 meters, was suspended for one year by the Korea Skating Union after an incident during training at the national team camp in Jincheon in 2019, when he pulled down Hwang’s pants. He later chose to switch nationality to China in 2020. In May 2021, South Korea’s Supreme Court issued a final not-guilty ruling on the allegation. Lin still could not compete at the Beijing 2022 Olympics because of an International Olympic Committee rule requiring athletes to wait three years after changing nationality before competing. Hwang, whose potential head-to-head matchup with Lin drew attention in Milan, won silver in the men’s 1,000 meters and added another silver Saturday in the men’s 5,000-meter relay.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-21 17:48:00