Journalist

Jang Sun-a
  • Lee Na Hyun Places Ninth in Olympic Women’s 1,000 Meters, Best Ever for South Korea
    Lee Na Hyun Places Ninth in Olympic Women’s 1,000 Meters, Best Ever for South Korea South Korea’s women’s speed skating reached the Olympic top 10 in the 1,000 meters for the first time. Lee Na Hyun of Korea National Sport University finished ninth in the women’s 1,000 on Monday at the Milan speed skating stadium in Italy, posting 1 minute, 15.76 seconds. Skating in the outside lane in the 13th pair against Great Britain’s Ellia Smeding, Lee accelerated quickly off the start. She passed 200 meters in 17.90 seconds, then reached 600 meters in 45.49 and held on to secure a top-10 finish. No South Korean skater had previously placed in the top 10 in the Olympic women’s 1,000. The country’s best result in the event had been 11th by Yoo Sun Hee at the 1992 Albertville Games. Kim Min Seon of Uijeongbu City Hall placed 18th in 1:16.24. Starting in the outside lane, she went through 200 meters in 17.83 and 600 meters in 45.33 but could not cut her time in the closing stretch. Lee and Kim will try again for a medal in their main event, the women’s 500, on Feb. 16. The gold medal went to the Netherlands’ Jutta Leerdam, who set an Olympic record with 1:12.31. Fellow Dutch skater Femke Kok took silver in 1:12.59, and Japan’s Miho Takagi won bronze in 1:13.95. 2026-02-10 03:03:00
  • Swiss skier Franjo von Allmen wins men’s team combined for first double gold at Milan-Cortina Games
    Swiss skier Franjo von Allmen wins men’s team combined for first double gold at Milan-Cortina Games Swiss alpine skier Franjo von Allmen, the first gold medalist of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, won the men’s team combined on Sunday to become the first double champion of the Games. Von Allmen, 24, teamed with Tanguy Nef for “Switzerland 2” and won at the Stelvio Ski Center in Bormio, Italy, in a combined time of 2 minutes, 44.04 seconds. In the team combined, two skiers split the downhill and slalom, and their times are added to determine the standings. Von Allmen opened the medal events on Friday by winning the men’s downhill for the first gold of the Olympics. He followed with another gold in the team combined. He has also drawn attention for working as a carpenter at construction sites in the summer. Von Allmen skied the downhill leg in 1:52.22, fourth-fastest overall. Nef then posted the top slalom time of 51.82 seconds to put them in front on the combined clock. Two teams shared the silver medal at 2:45.03: Austria’s Vincent Kriechmayr and Manuel Feller, and Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt and Loic Meillard. Odermatt, the men’s overall leader in the International Ski and Snowboard Federation World Cup this season, earned his first podium of the Olympics after finishing fourth in the downhill. He skied the slalom leg in 1:52.08, one of the faster times in that run.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-10 00:57:00
  • Kim Sang-gyeom wins snowboard silver, South Korea’s first medal at Milan-Cortina 2026
    Kim Sang-gyeom wins snowboard silver, South Korea’s first medal at Milan-Cortina 2026 South Korean alpine snowboard veteran Kim Sang-gyeom (High1) won his country’s first medal of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, taking silver in the men’s parallel giant slalom. Kim finished second in the final on Feb. 8 at Livigno Snow Park in Italy, losing to Austria’s Benjamin Karl by 0.19 seconds. It marked South Korea’s first Olympic medal in skiing and snowboarding since Lee Sang-ho (Nexen Wingard) won silver in the same event at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. Kim’s result also made him the winner of South Korea’s 400th Olympic medal across the Summer and Winter Games. Kim advanced to the round of 16 after placing eighth in qualifying with a combined time of 1 minute, 27.18 seconds over two runs. The knockout rounds were decided in single-elimination races from the round of 16 through the final. In the round of 16, Kim trailed Slovenia’s Zan Kosir until Kosir fell midrace. In the quarterfinals, Italy’s Roland Fischnaller — the top-ranked rider in this season’s International Ski and Snowboard Federation World Cup parallel giant slalom standings — went off course late, sending Kim through. Kim then beat Bulgaria’s Tervel Zamfirov by 0.23 seconds in the semifinals. Lee, a medal contender, was eliminated in the round of 16, losing to Austria’s Andreas Prommegger by 0.17 seconds. Lee qualified sixth and led early before being passed after the midway point. 2026-02-08 23:06:00
  • Snowboarder Kim Sang-gyeom clinches silver, South Korea’s 400th Olympic medal
    Snowboarder Kim Sang-gyeom clinches silver, South Korea’s 400th Olympic medal * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-08 22:30:00
  • Snowboarder Lee Sang-ho Eliminated in Round of 16 at Milan-Cortina Olympics; Kim Sang-gyeom Reaches Semifinals
    Snowboarder Lee Sang-ho Eliminated in Round of 16 at Milan-Cortina Olympics; Kim Sang-gyeom Reaches Semifinals South Korea had mixed results in the men’s snowboard parallel giant slalom at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, with Lee Sang-ho (Nexen Wingard) eliminated in the round of 16 and Kim Sang-gyeom (High1) advancing to the semifinals. Lee lost to Austria’s Andreas Prommegger by 0.17 seconds in the round of 16 on Feb. 8 (local time) at Livigno Snow Park in Italy. In parallel giant slalom, two riders race side by side. The top 16 from qualifying advance to a single-elimination bracket to decide the final standings. Lee reached the knockout round after placing sixth in qualifying with a combined time of 1 minute, 26.74 seconds across two runs. But he could not hold an early edge against Prommegger, a 1980-born veteran who qualified 11th. Lee won silver in the event at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, South Korea’s first Olympic medal in skiing and snowboarding. After a quarterfinal exit at the Beijing Games, he again fell short of the podium, ending his third Olympic campaign. Kim advanced to the quarterfinals when Slovenia’s Zan Kosir fell during their round-of-16 race. Kim then beat Italy’s Roland Fischnaller in the quarterfinals to reach the semifinals. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-08 22:09:00
  • Lindsey Vonn Crashes in Olympic Downhill After Returning From ACL Tear
    Lindsey Vonn Crashes in Olympic Downhill After Returning From ACL Tear Alpine skiing star Lindsey Vonn of the United States, who chose to compete at the Olympics despite being diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, crashed during the race and was airlifted to a hospital by medical helicopter. Vonn failed to finish the women’s downhill at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on Saturday (local time) at the Tofane Alpine Ski Center in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, after an early accident. Starting 13th, Vonn struck a gate in the opening section, lost her balance and fell. She remained down for a time before on-site medical staff assessed her and called a medical helicopter to take her to a hospital. Athletes and spectators at the venue watched the crash on the video board. U.S. skier Breezy Johnson, who was leading at the time, was seen covering her face. Vonn is one of the sport’s top downhill racers. She won gold at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and bronze at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. She retired in 2019 but returned ahead of the 2024-2025 season to prepare for these Olympics. She remained competitive after her comeback, posting two wins, two runner-up finishes and three third-place results on the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) World Cup circuit this season. But on Jan. 30, she injured her left knee on a jump landing at a World Cup event in Switzerland and was diagnosed with a torn ACL. Despite the injury, she opted to compete at the Olympics and completed local training as scheduled, but her race ended with Saturday’s crash.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-08 20:42:00
  • South Korea’s Kim Sun Young-Jeong Yeong Seok beat Estonia 9-3 for second straight mixed doubles win
    South Korea’s Kim Sun Young-Jeong Yeong Seok beat Estonia 9-3 for second straight mixed doubles win South Korea’s mixed doubles curling team followed a five-game skid with a second straight win, continuing a late turnaround in round-robin play. Kim Sun Young (Gangneung City Hall) and Jeong Yeong Seok (Gangwon Provincial Office) beat Estonia’s Marie Kaldvee and Harri Lill 9-3 on Saturday (local time) in their seventh round-robin game at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics. After beating the United States a day earlier for their first victory, South Korea improved to 2-5 in the round robin. South Korea jumped ahead early, scoring three in the first end and adding two more in the second. Estonia got one back in the third, but South Korea capitalized on an error in the fourth to score two and extend the lead to 7-1. In the fifth, Kim’s final shot limited the damage to one point. South Korea then scored two in the sixth with the hammer to seal the result. In mixed doubles, 10 teams play a round robin and the top four advance to the semifinals. South Korea sit low in the standings after their early losing streak, leaving their semifinal chances slim. Kim and Jeong are scheduled to play their final two preliminary games Sunday against Canada and Norway.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-08 19:48:00
  • Lee Sang-ho qualifies sixth for Olympic men’s parallel giant slalom finals
    Lee Sang-ho qualifies sixth for Olympic men’s parallel giant slalom finals Lee Sang-ho (Nexen Wingard) advanced to the finals of the men’s parallel giant slalom at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, qualifying sixth as he pursues a second Olympic medal. Lee posted a combined time of 1 minute, 26.74 seconds across two qualifying runs on Saturday at Livigno Snow Park in Italy to secure a spot in the knockout rounds. In parallel giant slalom qualifying, 32 riders each make one run on the blue and red courses, with the top 16 on combined time moving on. The finals begin at 9:24 p.m. South Korean time in a single-elimination round of 16. Lee, the silver medalist at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, is aiming to rebound after a quarterfinal exit at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Another medal would be South Korea’s 400th Olympic medal across the Summer and Winter Games. In his first run, Lee raced against 45-year-old Italian veteran Roland Fischnaller, who has three International Ski and Snowboard Federation World Cup wins this season and leads the rankings. Lee clocked 43.21 seconds on the blue course, finishing fourth among the 16 riders on that course despite some shaky sections. Switching to the red course for the second run, Lee rode alongside Zan Kosir of Slovenia and finished in 43.53 seconds, sealing his place in the finals on combined time. Kim Sang-gyeom (High1) also advanced, placing eighth at 1:27.18. Cho Wan-hee (Jeonbuk Ski Association) missed out in 18th at 1:27.76. In the women’s event, Jung Hae-rim (High1) finished 31st at 1:40.55 and did not advance.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-08 19:27:00
  • Stars Chase Winter Olympics Record of Eight Gold Medals at Milan-Cortina Games
    Stars Chase Winter Olympics Record of Eight Gold Medals at Milan-Cortina Games As the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics get underway, attention is turning to star athletes chasing the all-time record for most Olympic gold medals in Winter Games history. The Winter Olympics gold-medal record is eight, held by biathlon great Ole Einar Bjoerndalen and cross-country skiers Bjoern Daehlie and Marit Bjoergen, all of Norway. Bjoerndalen also owns the Winter Olympics record for most total medals with 15. Several active athletes are aiming at those marks. Norway’s Johannes Klaebo is considered a leading contender. He won five gold medals at the 2018 Pyeongchang and 2022 Beijing Games and is entered in six events this time, seeking both multiple titles and a record. He also backed up his form by winning six golds at last year’s world championships. Germany’s Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt, who compete in men’s doubles luge, are also in the hunt. Across Sochi, Pyeongchang and Beijing, they swept men’s doubles and the team relay, giving each athlete six Olympic gold medals. They will try for a fourth straight Olympics with two golds and a share of the all-time record. Other athletes are chasing sport-specific milestones. China’s Gu Ailing is aiming to become the first freestyle skier to win a fourth Olympic medal. At the Beijing Games, she won two golds and a silver. In snowboarding, Chloe Kim of the United States (halfpipe) and Austria’s Anna Gasser (big air) are each trying to become the first in their events to win three straight Olympic titles. In bobsled, Germany’s Francesco Friedrich is seeking a third consecutive double in the two-man and four-man events. American Kaillie Humphries, competing in her fifth Olympics, is also chasing a record, aiming to break the mark for most women’s bobsled gold medals, currently four. Among South Korean athletes, short-track speed skater Choi Min-jeong (Seongnam City Hall) is viewed as a record contender. She has three Olympic gold medals and two silvers. If she adds another gold, she will tie Chun Lee-kyung for the most Winter Olympics gold medals by a South Korean athlete with four. If she wins two more medals of any color, she would surpass the South Korean record for most total Olympic medals across Summer and Winter Games, currently six and jointly held by Jin Jong-oh, Kim Soo-nyung and Lee Seung-hoon. 2026-02-08 18:42:00
  • Ilia Malinin Lands Backflip at 2026 Milan Olympics After Ban Lifted
    Ilia Malinin Lands Backflip at 2026 Milan Olympics After Ban Lifted A figure skating backflip, long treated as taboo on the Olympic stage, returned after nearly 50 years when American Ilia Malinin landed one without penalty, drawing a loud reaction from the crowd. Malinin completed the backflip late in his program in the men’s singles short program of the figure skating team event at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Italy, according to the report. The backflip had been effectively barred for decades. After American Terry Kubicka first attempted it at the 1976 Innsbruck Winter Olympics, the International Skating Union banned the move starting the following year, citing athlete safety and injury risk. After that, skaters were assessed a two-point deduction whether or not they landed it. At the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, France’s Surya Bonaly drew attention by attempting a backflip while accepting the deduction as a protest over judging. The report said Bonaly, then among the world’s top skaters, alleged discriminatory judging and left the Olympic stage after that performance. With the sport placing more emphasis on expression and spectacle, the ISU lifted the backflip ban in 2024. Malinin became the first skater to land a backflip at the Olympics without a deduction since the rule change. Malinin scored 98.00 points, combining technical and program components, to place second behind Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama, who scored 108.67. The backflip itself did not earn a separate bonus. Afterward, Malinin said, “The crowd cheered so loudly it was uncontrollable,” adding, “It was a moment when I felt the weight of the Olympic stage and gratitude.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-08 16:27:00