Italy’s Francesca Lollobrigida wins women’s 5,000 gold for second 2026 Milan-Cortina title Francesca Lollobrigida, 35, delivered another gold for host Italy, edging the women’s 5,000 meters by 0.1 seconds to become a two-time champion at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Lollobrigida won Friday at the Milan Ice Skating Arena, finishing in 6:46.17. Skating in the final pairing against veteran Martina Sablikova of the Czech Republic, Lollobrigida surged late despite fading legs, closing her last lap in 31.86 seconds. She caught and passed Merel Conijn of the Netherlands, who finished in 6:46.27, to take the gold in a dramatic finish. It was the first time an Italian has won Olympic gold in the women’s 5,000. With Lollobrigida, who has returned to competition after giving birth, Italy now have six gold medals, closing on overall leader Norway with seven. Lollobrigida is also entered in the remaining women’s mass start, where she will try for a third gold of the Games.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-13 03:21:00

South Korea’s Cha Jun-hwan to stick with planned free skate at Milan Olympics South Korea’s top men’s figure skater, Cha Jun-hwan (Seoul City Hall), said he will focus on polishing his performance rather than raising difficulty ahead of the free skate. After official practice on Thursday (Korea time) at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Italy, Cha told reporters the gap to the third-place skater is large and “it seems like there needs to be a way to increase difficulty to win a medal,” but he plans to “perform the elements I’ve been doing so far” and concentrate on improving execution. Cha placed sixth in the short program on Tuesday with 92.72 points (50.08 technical, 42.64 program components). He trails third-place Adam Siao Him Fa of France by 9.83 points. Early in the 2025-26 season, Cha attempted three quadruple jumps in the free skate, including a combination, but later reduced his layout to two solo quads. That left open the option of adding higher-difficulty elements to push into medal position, but he said he would make the same choice he made at the Harbin Asian Winter Games. At Harbin, Cha scored 93.09 in the short program, 9.72 points behind Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama (103.81). He did not raise difficulty to chase the deficit and instead focused on delivering his planned program. Cha landed two quadruple jumps and won after Kagiyama made repeated mistakes. Cha said he is aiming for a medal with the same approach in Milan. Cha also said he was disappointed by his short-program score. Although he delivered a near-clean skate, he received an under-rotation call on his triple Axel and earned only Level 3 on the step sequence. “When I checked the score, it was lower than I expected, so I was disappointed,” he said. “If the technical score was low, I could accept it, but I was especially disappointed that the program component score came out low.” He said he thought a lot after the short program and decided to enjoy the process rather than focus on the result. “I didn’t get the score I wanted, but in the moment I think I showed what I wanted to show. The fact that I did my best doesn’t change, so I’m satisfied,” he said. On ice conditions that some athletes have criticized at these Olympics, Cha said the ice feels “a bit soft” even for figure skaters and that the moisture is a concern. “If there’s a lot of moisture, it can freeze as it is and create bumps on the surface,” he said, adding he would need to keep that in mind in competition. Cha is scheduled to skate in the men’s free skate at 3 a.m. Friday (Korea time). * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-13 02:12:00

Lee Ui Jin, Han Da Som finish 73rd and 80th in women’s 10km freestyle at Milan 2026 South Korea’s Lee Ui Jin (Busan Sports Council) and Han Da Som (Gyeonggi Provincial Government) finished outside the top 70 in the women’s 10-kilometer freestyle. Racing on Feb. 12 (Korea time) at the Tesero Cross-Country Stadium in Italy, Lee placed 73rd and Han 80th in the women’s 10-kilometer interval-start freestyle. In the interval-start format, skiers start at set time gaps and are ranked by fastest time. Lee was 68th at the 1.8-kilometer mark but slipped back and finished in 27:35.9. Han, who also opened in the 70s, posted 28:15.8. Both athletes failed to finish the 10km+10km skiathlon on Feb. 7, their first race of the event. In the women’s sprint classic qualifying on Feb. 10, Lee was 70th (4:15.93) and Han 74th (4:17.62), and both were eliminated. They were later disqualified after a banned substance was detected. Reuters reported on Feb. 11 (local time) that the International Ski and Snowboard Federation said fluorinated wax was found on their skis from the sprint classic qualifying, resulting in disqualification. Sweden’s Frida Karlsson won gold in the 10-kilometer freestyle in 22:49.2. Sweden’s Ebba Andersson took silver in 23:35.8, and Jessica Diggins of the United States won bronze in 23:38.9.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-13 00:03:00

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 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

Finland Sends Ski Jumping Head Coach Home Over Drinking at Milan-Cortina Olympics Finland’s head coach for ski jumping has been sent home from the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics over an alcohol-related incident. The Finnish Olympic Committee said it had ordered Igor Medved, the national team’s ski jumping head coach, to return to Finland. According to Finnish outlet Helsinki Times, Medved violated team rules on drinking during the Games, and the Finnish Ski Association and the Finnish Olympic Committee decided to remove him under internal regulations. Medved, who is from Slovenia, told local media he had been invited to a celebration for Slovenia’s mixed team ski jumping gold medal but said alcohol "ruined things." He apologized to athletes, coaches and fans. The Finnish Ski Association said it will review the matter after the Olympics and take appropriate follow-up steps.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-12 22:03:00

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 women’s curling team falls to U.S. in Olympic round-robin opener South Korea’s women’s curling team, Gyeonggi Province, ranked No. 3 in the world, opened the 2026 Milan·Cortina Winter Olympics round-robin with a loss. Skip Kim Eun-ji, third Kim Min-ji, second Kim Su-ji, lead Seol Ye-eun and fifth Seol Ye-ji fell 8-4 to the United States on Feb. 12 (Korean time) at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. In women’s curling, 10 teams play nine round-robin games, with the top four advancing to the semifinals. South Korea started well, scoring one point in each of the second and third ends to lead 2-0. The U.S. tied it in the fourth end with two points. Trailing 3-2, South Korea had the hammer in the seventh but gave up two when Kim Eun-ji’s final stone did not settle in the button, stretching the deficit to 5-2. South Korea answered with two in the eighth to close within 5-4, then limited the damage to one in the ninth. Down 6-4 in the 10th, it tried to rally, but Kim’s final double-takeout attempt missed, and South Korea surrendered two more to finish 8-4. South Korea plays host Italy in its second round-robin game on the morning of Feb. 13. 2026-02-12 20:15:00

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

Hanwha Ocean to Pay 400% Bonus to Both Contractors and Subcontractors Hanwha Ocean will pay a 400% performance bonus to both its direct employees and subcontracted workers, a rare move among major shipbuilders to apply the same high rate across prime and subcontract workforces. The decision is drawing attention as a potential step toward “equal pay for equal work” on the shop floor. According to Ajunews reporting on Wednesday, Hanwha Ocean decided to pay last year’s performance bonus at 400% of monthly base pay, its highest level since the company’s launch. The bonuses are scheduled to be paid in full on Thursday. The move is seen as reflecting improved results during the shipbuilding upcycle and a push to more directly reward contributions at production sites. The shipbuilding industry has long faced criticism that subcontracted workers handle about 60% of production processes but receive significantly lower welfare benefits and bonuses than direct employees. Hanwha Ocean said late last year it would pay the same performance bonus to both groups as part of labor-management cooperation. In 2024, Hanwha Ocean employees received bonuses equal to 150% of base pay, while workers at partner firms received 75%. Under the new plan, both direct and subcontracted workers will receive the same bonus rate. Industry observers said the decision could help ease the sector’s dual labor structure. With a shortage of skilled workers persisting during the boom, broader profit-sharing could help curb worker outflows and encourage new hiring. Samsung Heavy Industries has previously paid the same bonus rate to prime and subcontract workers, but the amounts were relatively limited, making Hanwha Ocean’s decision stand out, analysts said. The move also complicates calculations across the industry, as it could fuel demands for larger bonuses at shipbuilders already in conflict this year with subcontractor unions over bonus negotiations. Another pressure point is the planned March implementation of the so-called Yellow Envelope Act, revisions to Articles 2 and 3 of the Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act. The bill calls for prime contractors to negotiate directly with subcontractor unions when the prime contractor exercises substantial control over subcontract workers’ conditions. Against that backdrop, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries postponed performance bonuses for subcontracted workers that had been slated for payment in December to February. By contrast, it plans to pay its direct employees performance bonuses of about 800% this month. Analysts also said Samsung Heavy Industries faces growing pressure over bonus levels. While it pays the same bonus rate to prime and subcontract workers, it differentiates payments by years of service, and its overall bonus level is known to be the lowest among the three major shipbuilders. “Combined with labor issues such as the Yellow Envelope Act, Hanwha Ocean’s move has become even more symbolic,” a shipbuilding industry official said. “In reality, compensation levels inevitably vary depending on each company’s performance and financial conditions, but one company’s decision can be treated as an industrywide benchmark, creating a significant burden.” 2026-02-12 19:36:00