Journalist

Jang Sun-a
  • Eileen Gu Wins Big Air Silver for Fifth Career Olympic Medal
    Eileen Gu Wins Big Air Silver for Fifth Career Olympic Medal Eileen Gu of China, one of the biggest stars heading into the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, added a milestone even without gold: She became the first woman in freestyle skiing to win five career Olympic medals. Gu scored 179 points to take silver in the women’s freestyle skiing big air final at Livigno Snow Park in Italy on Feb. 17 (Korean time). Canada’s Megan Oldham won gold with 180.75. “I’m really proud to have won five medals. It feels special,” Gu said afterward. Gu was the inaugural Olympic champion in women’s big air when the event debuted at the 2022 Beijing Games, but she fell short of a second straight title this time. After winning two golds and a silver in Beijing, she has two silvers so far at this Olympics with two of three events completed. Born to an American father and a Chinese mother, Gu competes for China and is known as the highest-earning athlete in the field over the past year. Forbes estimated her annual income at $23 million. The final was delayed by more than an hour because of heavy snow. In the last practice run, Gu hit her head hard enough to break her helmet. “I’m glad the competition was delayed. I had time to calm down while icing my head,” she said. “If it hadn’t been postponed, I don’t think I would have gotten this kind of result.” With the silver, Gu now has two golds and three silvers in her Olympic career. That ties Canada’s Mikael Kingsbury for the most Olympic medals in freestyle skiing and gives Gu the outright women’s record. Gu will compete in the halfpipe starting Feb. 20, seeking another medal and aiming for a second straight Olympic title in that event after Beijing.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-18 00:54:00
  • Yoon Shin-yi Eliminated in Round of 32 in Olympic Dual Moguls
    Yoon Shin-yi Eliminated in Round of 32 in Olympic Dual Moguls Yoon Shin-yi of Bongpyeong High School saw her run end in the round of 32 in women’s freestyle skiing dual moguls at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Yoon lost to Kazakhstan’s Yuliya Galysheva on Friday (Korean time) at the Aerial Moguls Park in Livigno, Italy, and did not advance. The score was 6-29. It was Yoon’s Olympic debut, while Galysheva was competing at her fifth Olympics. Moguls are judged on turn precision over bumps about 1 meter high, aerial maneuvers, landing stability and time, with both speed and technical execution reflected in the score. Dual moguls, added as an official event at these Games, features two skiers racing down the course at the same time. In earlier women’s moguls qualifying, Yoon scored 59.40 points in the first run (21st) and 64.46 in the second (24th).* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-14 21:36:00
  • Choi Gaon rallies to win Olympic women’s halfpipe gold at Milan-Cortina 2026
    Choi Gaon rallies to win Olympic women’s halfpipe gold at Milan-Cortina 2026 Choi Gaon of Sehwa High School, who overcame injury pain and fear of failure to pull off a comeback victory, said the competitive drive she developed while training with older teammates helped her push through. Choi, who delivered South Korea’s first gold medal of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics by winning the women’s snowboard halfpipe, spoke about the final and her reaction at a news conference Friday at Korea House in Milan. In Thursday’s final at Livigno Snow Park in Italy, Choi scored 90.25 to beat Chloe Kim of the United States, who had 88.00. After falling in her first two runs, she raised her score on the third to seal the win. The victory made Choi the first South Korean skier to win Olympic gold. She also broke the event’s youngest Olympic gold medal record set by Kim at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. “When I get back to Korea, I’m going to have a pajama party with my friends,” Choi said. She added a message for younger athletes who may dream of snowboarding: “The most important thing is to ride and enjoy it.” Recalling her injury, Choi said being taken away on a stretcher would have meant withdrawing. “I asked for a little time, then tried to move my foot, starting by putting strength into my toes,” she said. “Thankfully, I was able to compete again.” Asked about her next goals, she said she did not show her best performance at these Olympics. “Rather than a far-off goal, I’ll work to become a better athlete than I am right now,” she said. Choi is the third of four siblings and first tried snowboarding with her family as a child. In 2017, at age 9, she drew attention after appearing on a TV program as part of a “snowboard family.” She later pursued the sport seriously and has been a leading member of the national team since the 2023-2024 season.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-14 20:54:00
  • Lindsey Vonn Faces Fourth Surgery After Crash in Milan-Cortina Olympic Downhill
    Lindsey Vonn Faces Fourth Surgery After Crash in Milan-Cortina Olympic Downhill American alpine skier Lindsey Vonn, seriously injured during competition at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, said she hopes to return to the United States as she prepares for another operation. The Associated Press reported on Feb. 14 (Korea time) that Vonn is scheduled to undergo additional surgery on the fracture in her left leg at the hospital where she remains admitted. It would be her fourth operation since the crash. Vonn has already had three surgeries and is continuing rehabilitation treatment. In a social media post, Vonn said the past few days in the hospital had been difficult, but she was “slowly starting to feel like myself again.” She added, “I’m having surgery soon, and if things go well, I think I can go home. But after that, I’ll still need more surgery.” Vonn crashed on Feb. 9 in the women’s downhill at the Tofane Alpine Ski Center in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, falling after hitting a gate shortly after the start. She exited the course about 13 seconds after the accident and was airlifted by helicopter. She competed despite having been diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament before the event. After the injury, she received emergency treatment in an intensive care unit at a local hospital before being transferred to a larger hospital for surgery and care.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-14 15:30:00
  • Federica Brignone wins Olympic super-G gold at 35, oldest women’s alpine champion
    Federica Brignone wins Olympic super-G gold at 35, oldest women’s alpine champion Italian veteran Federica Brignone capped a comeback from a serious injury by becoming the oldest women’s Olympic alpine gold medalist. Brignone won the women’s super-G at the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics on Wednesday at the Tofane Alpine Ski Center in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, finishing in 1 minute, 23.41 seconds. She beat Romane Miradoli of France (1:23.82) and Cornelia Huetter of Austria (1:23.93). It was Brignone’s first Olympic gold in her fourth Games. She previously won bronze in giant slalom at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics and silver in giant slalom at the 2022 Beijing Games. Her Olympic total rose to one gold, one silver and two bronze medals, tying Deborah Compagnoni for the most Olympic medals by an Italian woman in skiing. At 35, Brignone also set the record as the oldest Olympic gold medalist in women’s alpine skiing. The win followed a major crash last April during the Italian championships giant slalom, when she suffered multiple fractures in her left leg and a torn anterior cruciate ligament. After two surgeries and rehabilitation, she returned to on-snow training last month and reached the top of the Olympic podium in less than a month. Conditions were difficult on race day, with thick fog during the run. Seventeen of the 43 starters did not finish. U.S. downhill gold medalist Bree Johnson fell after hitting a gate, derailing her bid for a second title. Brignone posted steady splits throughout and reached 103.85 kph (64.53 mph) in the final section to hold the lead. Brignone is also known as part of a mother-daughter Olympic pair. Her mother, Maria Rosa Quario, competed for Italy at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics and finished fourth in women’s slalom.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-12 23:39:00
  • South Korea’s Jung Dae Yoon finishes 19th, eliminated in men’s moguls final at Milan-Cortina Olympics
    South Korea’s Jung Dae Yoon finishes 19th, eliminated in men’s moguls final at Milan-Cortina Olympics Jung Dae Yoon of the Seoul Ski Association was eliminated in the first round of the men’s moguls final in freestyle skiing at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics. Competing at the Aerials and Moguls Park in Livigno, Italy, Jung scored 34.28 points in the first final round on Wednesday (Korea time). He placed 19th out of 20 and did not advance to the second final, which is limited to the top eight. Moguls are judged on turns, aerial maneuvers on the jumps and time on a course lined with bumps. Jung had to fight through qualifying to reach the final. He scored 65.51 points in the first qualifier, placing 27th out of 29 and missing automatic qualification. In the second qualifier, he posted 77.36 points to finish fourth and claim an additional spot in the final. In the final, he lost significant points after losing balance on the run, including a slip in the middle of the course that drew deductions. He later attempted a four-rotation aerial move, but it was not enough to move up the standings. Jung will return to competition in the men’s dual moguls on Feb. 15.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-12 22:03:38
  • South Korea’s Jeong Seung-gi Advances in Olympic Men’s Skeleton Qualifying, Tied for Eighth
    South Korea’s Jeong Seung-gi Advances in Olympic Men’s Skeleton Qualifying, Tied for Eighth Jeong Seung-gi of South Korea advanced through qualifying for the men’s skeleton at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, sitting tied for eighth after the first two runs. Jeong, who competes for Gangwon Provincial Government, posted a combined time of 1 minute, 53.22 seconds on Thursday (Korea time) at the Cortina Sliding Center in Cortina, Italy. He was tied for eighth among 24 athletes. In Run 1, Jeong had a 4.64-second start and finished in 56.57. He opened Run 2 with a 4.61 start, but his run time slipped to 56.65, leaving him level with China’s Yin Zheng and Lin Qinwei. Britain’s Matt Weston led at 1:52.09. Germany’s Axel Jungk was second in 1:52.39, followed by Christopher Grotheer in 1:52.55. South Korea’s Kim Ji Su was 15th at 1:54.15, after clocking 57.15 in Run 1 and improving to 57.00 in Run 2. Final standings will be decided by the combined results through Runs 3 and 4 on Feb. 14. Only the top 20 after Run 3 will advance to the fourth and final run.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-12 20:54:00
  • South Korea’s Jung Dae Yoon Advances to Olympic Moguls Final After Second Qualifier
    South Korea’s Jung Dae Yoon Advances to Olympic Moguls Final After Second Qualifier South Korean freestyle skier Jung Dae Yoon of the Seoul Ski Association rebounded from a poor first run to advance to the Olympic men’s moguls final. Jung scored 77.36 points to place fourth in the second qualifying round on Wednesday (Korea time) at the Aerial Mogul Park in Livigno, Italy, at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics. He secured one of the 10 final berths awarded to the top 10 finishers among 20 skiers in the second qualifier. In the first qualifying round, Jung scored 65.51 points and finished 27th out of 29, missing an automatic spot in the final. He improved on his second chance with a steadier run and cleaner aerials. Skiing seventh, Jung earned 17.68 points for time, 16.88 for air and 42.8 for turns. After his score was confirmed, he clenched his fist in celebration. It marked his first Olympic appearance and his first trip to an Olympic final. Moguls is contested on a course of closely spaced snow bumps about 1 meter high, with athletes performing aerial tricks at designated jumps. Results are based on a combined evaluation of turning, speed and aerial execution. The top 10 from the first qualifier advance directly, with additional finalists determined in the second qualifier. Lee Yoon Seung of Kyung Hee University, who fell in the first qualifier and did not record a score, withdrew and did not compete in the second qualifier. The men’s moguls final is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. Wednesday (Korea time). 2026-02-12 19:57:00
  • Jordan Stolz Wins Olympic Gold in Men’s 1,000 Meters With Record Time
    Jordan Stolz Wins Olympic Gold in Men’s 1,000 Meters With Record Time American Jordan Stolz won gold in the men’s 1,000 meters in speedskating, setting a new Olympic record and putting himself in position to contend for more medals in Milan. Stolz clocked 1 minute, 6.28 seconds on Wednesday (Korea time) at the Milan speedskating stadium in Italy, breaking the previous Olympic mark. “An Olympic gold medal is a chance that comes only once every four years,” Stolz said after the race. “I felt a lot of pressure, but I raced the way I prepared.” Stolz has already established himself internationally as a multi-event threat. In December, he swept the 500, 1,000, 1,500 and mass start at an International Skating Union World Cup, and he has continued that form by winning three events at the world championships this season. He is known for both sprint speed and strong race management at middle distances. He also set a World Cup mark as the first male skater to win five titles at a single meet. At the Beijing Olympics four years ago, Stolz finished without a medal. Then a teenager, he has since improved his conditioning and race strategy to become one of the world’s top skaters. In U.S. speedskating, he has been mentioned as a potential successor to Eric Heiden in the multi-gold tradition. At these Games, Stolz is also entered in the 500, 1,500 and mass start. His main rivals include Jenning de Boo of the Netherlands in the 500 and Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands, a two-time Olympic champion, in the 1,500. “After winning my first gold, I feel like I’ve gotten a sense for the arena atmosphere and the ice,” Stolz said. “I’m expecting good results in the remaining races.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-12 18:24:00
  • Canada’s Piper Gilles, Paul Poirier win Olympic ice dance bronze after cancer battle
    Canada’s Piper Gilles, Paul Poirier win Olympic ice dance bronze after cancer battle Canadian ice dancer Piper Gilles, who faced a possible end to her career while being treated for ovarian cancer, reached the Olympic podium with her 15-year partner, Paul Poirier. According to AFP, after winning bronze in figure skating ice dance at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, the pair said, “If you believe in yourself and chase your dreams, anything can happen.” Skating to the Van Gogh tribute song “Vincent” in the free dance at the Milan Ice Skating Arena, Gilles and Poirier finished third with 217.74 points. AFP reported the duo, wearing blue costumes reminiscent of Van Gogh’s “Irises,” drew loud cheers for a polished performance. Despite past world championship success, Gilles and Poirier had not previously won an Olympic medal. “When I was diagnosed (with ovarian cancer) three years ago, I couldn’t imagine a moment like this,” Gilles said. “I hope this medal can give hope to people going through difficult times.” France’s Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier Beaudry won gold with 225.82 points. Americans Evan Bates and Madison Chock took silver with 224.39.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-12 16:39:00