Dog Runs Onto Cross-Country Course at Milan-Cortina Olympics, Follows Skier to Finish A large dog ran onto the course during cross-country skiing at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, briefly joining the race. In the women’s team sprint qualifying on Feb. 18 (Korea time) at the cross-country stadium in Tesero, Italy, a Czech wolfhound bounded onto the snow and ran behind the skiers. The dog sprinted just behind Croatia’s Tena Hadzic, who finished 19th, and followed her all the way across the finish line. Reuters reported that the dog started running after the athletes near the finish, paused briefly to sniff, then passed them and crossed the line. Spectators laughed and cheered at the unexpected sight, and some stood to applaud. The dog’s owner told NPR the pet is named “Nazgul,” after an evil spirit in “The Lord of the Rings.” He said the dog cried more than usual after watching them leave for the stadium, so he brought it along, adding that it likes people and follows them well. The incident also drew attention among athletes. Sweden’s Jonna Sundling, who won, said, “It was really fun,” adding that she laughed because the dog seemed to want to come into the mixed zone as well. Omega, the Olympics’ official timekeeper, added to the buzz by preserving the moment the dog crossed the finish line in a photo-finish image.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-19 02:15:00

Shiffrin wins Olympic slalom gold for first time in eight years at Milan-Cortina Games Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States won a Winter Olympics gold medal for the first time in eight years. Shiffrin captured the women's slalom title at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on Feb. 18 (Korean time) at the Tofane Alpine Ski Center in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. She posted a combined time of 1 minute, 39.10 seconds over two runs. The victory marked Shiffrin's first Olympic gold since 2018. She previously won slalom gold at the 2014 Sochi Games and giant slalom gold, plus a silver in the combined, at the 2018 PyeongChang Games. She left the 2022 Beijing Games without a medal. At these Games, Shiffrin had missed the podium in her first two events, finishing fourth in the team combined and 11th in the giant slalom. In her signature event, she delivered. Shiffrin entered as the top slalom skier after winning all five women's slalom races on the 2025-26 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup circuit. She led after the first run in 47.13 seconds. Though she slowed to 51.97 in the second run, her total time still held up for gold. Switzerland's Camille Rast took silver in 1:40.60, and Sweden's Anna Swenn Larsson won bronze in 1:40.81. South Korea's Kim Sohee (Seoul City Hall) and Park Seoyun (Korea National Sport University) did not finish the first run.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-19 01:54:00

Ukraine to Boycott Opening Ceremony, Other Events at Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics Ukraine will skip the opening ceremony and other official events at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Paralympics, which begin March 7 (Korea time), in protest of the decision to allow Russian and Belarusian teams to compete under their national flags. According to Reuters, Ukraine’s sports minister, Matvii Bidnyi, said on Feb. 18, “Our team will not attend any events during the Games,” adding, “However, we will compete as normal.” Earlier that day, the International Paralympic Committee approved entries for six Russian athletes and four Belarusian athletes for the Winter Paralympics. It also decided to allow the use of the two countries’ flags and the playing of their national anthems. The IPC barred Russia and Belarus from hosting international events and suspended their eligibility after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in March 2022. It restored their membership at its general assembly in Seoul in August last year. Russia’s participation as a national Paralympic team marks its first such appearance since the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympics, 12 years ago.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-19 00:27:00

Snowboarder Yoo Seung-eun Finishes 12th in Olympic Slopestyle, Ends Medal Bid Big air bronze medalist Yoo Seung-eun (Seongbok High School) ended her first Olympic appearance with a 12th-place finish in women’s snowboard slopestyle. Competing Feb. 18 (Korea time) at Livigno Snow Park in Italy, Yoo posted a best score of 34.18 across three finals runs, placing 12th among the 12 finalists at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics. The final had been scheduled for Feb. 17 but was postponed a day because of heavy snow and severe weather. Yoo had raised medal hopes by scoring 76.80 in qualifying, third overall, but struggled to complete clean runs in the final. Going 10th, she scored 20.70 on her first run after a landing mistake in the rail section (Section 3). Her best score came on the second run. She landed a switch backside 900 on the first jump (Section 4) and followed with a frontside 360 in Section 5, but fell on the landing while attempting a backside 720 on the final jump (Section 6), finishing with 34.18. On her third run, she slipped early in Section 2 and again attempted a switch backside 900 on the first jump, but wobbled on the landing and scored 15.46. Yoo finished the Games after making history for South Korea’s snow events by winning bronze in snowboard big air. Japan’s Mari Fukada won gold with 87.83 points. Silver went to Zoi Sadowski-Synnott of New Zealand, and bronze to Japan’s Kokomo Murase.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-19 00:15:00

Lee Ufan Works Lead Seoul Auction and K Auction Sales in Late February The year’s first art auction delivered stronger-than-expected results, raising expectations of a market rebound, and major houses are now preparing a new round of February sales. According to the art auction industry on the 19th, Seoul Auction and K Auction will hold their February auctions on the 26th and 27th, respectively. Together, the two houses will offer 226 works by artists whose value has been tested in domestic and international markets, with a combined estimate of about 17.6 billion won. Seoul Auction will feature Lee Ufan’s “Dialogue,” a work defined by minimal brushwork set against broad areas of open space. It is estimated at 950 million won to 1.8 billion won. Works by key figures in modern Korean art, including Lee Jung-seob, Chang Ucchin and Choi Young-rim, will also be offered. K Auction will also lead with large-scale “Dialogue” paintings by Lee, including No. 300 and No. 100, and will add a wider range of works, from ceramics to small terracotta pieces. The No. 300 painting, made in 2007, is described as a rare, extra-large format within Lee’s output. It is estimated at 1.35 billion won to 2.4 billion won. Lee’s ceramic works and terracotta pieces offered alongside the paintings highlight another side of his practice. His painted ceramic work titled “Untitled” extends the relationship between dots and empty space from his flat canvases into three-dimensional form. At Seoul Auction, Kim Tschang-yeul’s “Sunflower” and “Return” are also expected to draw attention. “Sunflower,” made in 1955, shows the artist’s early style before his well-known water-drop series and is estimated at 250 million won to 500 million won. “Return,” a large folding-screen-format work made in 1996, is estimated at 120 million won to 250 million won. K Auction will also offer works by Dansaekhwa masters including Park Seo-bo and Yun Hyong-keun, alongside international names such as Yayoi Kusama, Bernard Buffet, Gerhard Richter and Yoshitomo Nara. Kusama’s 1991 “Pumpkin” will be included. Chun Kyung-ja’s “Woman,” selected for the auction catalog cover, is also positioned as a key work in the sale. A K Auction official said the January auction ended with strong interest, confirming steady demand and high collector participation. The official added that the positive start to the year is fueling expectations for more active movement in the art market in 2026. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-19 00:03:00

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo Wins Team Sprint Gold for Fifth Title at Milan-Cortina Olympics Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo became the first five-time gold medalist in cross-country skiing at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, bringing his career Olympic gold total to 10. Klaebo and Einar Hedegart won the men’s team sprint final on Feb. 18 (Korean time) at the Tesero Cross-Country Ski Stadium in Italy. Klaebo and Hedegart, who also teamed up in the men’s 4x7.5-kilometer relay on Feb. 15, finished in 18 minutes, 28.98 seconds. They beat the U.S. duo of Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher (18:30.35) by 1.27 seconds. Host Italy’s Elia Barp and Federico Pellegrino took bronze in 18:32.29. In the team sprint, two skiers form a team and each races a roughly 1.5-kilometer course three times, with places decided by combined time. Klaebo swept five events at these Games: the 10km+10km skiathlon, sprint classic, 10km interval start free, the 4x7.5km relay and the team sprint. With the relay win, he moved into first place for the most Winter Olympic gold medals in history with nine, then extended the mark to 10 with Tuesday’s victory. Klaebo won three golds at Pyeongchang 2018 and two at the Beijing 2022 Olympics, and now has five at this Olympics for 10 total. Across the Summer and Winter Olympics, the all-time record for most gold medals is 23 by U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps. Klaebo also matched the record for most gold medals at a single Olympics, set by American speed skater Eric Heiden at the 1980 Lake Placid Games with five (500m, 1,000m, 1,500m, 5,000m and 10,000m). Klaebo is scheduled to race the 50km mass start on Feb. 21. A gold there would put him ahead of Heiden and set a new single-Games record for the first time in 46 years. 2026-02-18 22:33:00

Cha Jun-hwan Reveals Ankle Injury After Historic Fourth-Place Olympic Finish South Korean men’s figure skating standout Cha Jun-hwan said he delivered the best Olympic result in the country’s history — fourth place at his third Olympics — while dealing with a painful right ankle injury. After an official practice session on Feb. 18 (Korea time) at the Milan Ice Skating Arena’s training rink, the 25-year-old Seoul Metropolitan Government skater told reporters his condition had been worse than it appeared. “My right ankle, around the ankle bone, was in such bad shape that it had fluid buildup,” Cha said. He said the pain intensified during a recent skate change because the boot pressed on his ankle. “I was getting treatment while it was swollen with fluid, and it ended up stiffening while still swollen,” he said. “But I approached it thinking I had to endure somehow until the Olympics, and I didn’t show it for psychological stability.” Cha said that after finishing the free skate, the tension lifted and he came down with a severe cold and body aches. “It’s a good thing I got sick after everything was over,” he said with a smile. Cha’s effort also drew praise from a special visitor: Martina Corgnati, the daughter of late Italian singer Milva, whose original song “Ballad for a Madman” Cha used for his free skate. Corgnati visited Korea House to express thanks. In a video message, she said, “If my mother, who passed away five years ago, had seen it, she would have been moved.” She added, “The way he got back up after falling during the performance and continued was sublime. I was touched by how deeply he connected with the music.” Cha replied, “I never imagined this, so I’m surprised and grateful. Performing to that piece actually gave me strength. I really think I made the right choice changing the music.” Cha is set to skate in the Feb. 22 gala show to “Not a dream” by Korean traditional vocalist Song So-hee. He said the word that runs through his skating is “freedom,” and called it a Korean-style piece that expresses that well. He was cautious about what comes next. On the world championships after the Olympics, Cha said he is considering whether to compete given his ankle condition. Asked about a bid for the 2030 Alps Olympics, he said he needs time to regroup.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-18 22:15:00

Lee Eui-jin, Han Da-som Miss Final in Women’s Cross-Country Team Sprint at 2026 Milan Olympics Lee Eui-jin (Busan Metropolitan City Sports Council) and Han Da-som (Gyeonggi Provincial Government) were eliminated in qualifying for the women’s cross-country team sprint at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. The pair placed 23rd out of 26 teams with a combined time of 7:50.72 on Feb. 18 at the cross-country stadium in Tesero, Italy, missing the top 15 that advanced to the final. In the team sprint qualifier, two skiers form a team and each races a course of about 1.5 kilometers once, with places decided by combined time. The top 15 teams move on, and the final is contested over three laps each, with results based on the combined time. Han skied first for South Korea and posted 3:55.12, 46th overall. Lee followed with 3:55.59, 47th overall, leaving them outside the top 15 on aggregate. In the final, Sweden’s Jonna Sundling and Maja Dahlqvist won gold in 20:29.99. Switzerland’s Nadja Kaelin and Nadine Faehndrich took silver in 20:31.39, and Germany’s Laura Gimmler and Coletta Rydzek won bronze in 20:35.86.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-18 20:36:00

Copyright Issues Over Pop Music Spotlight Olympic Figure Skating as Amber Glenn Places 13th Copyright concerns tied to the use of pop music became a major talking point in figure skating at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Even with support from pop star Madonna, U.S. skater Amber Glenn finished 13th in the women’s short program. Glenn scored 67.39 points in the women’s singles short program on Feb. 18 (Korean time) at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Italy, placing 13th. Glenn chose Madonna’s hit “Like a Prayer” for her short program this season and had worried about copyright issues. Before the competition, Madonna sent Glenn a video message granting permission and offering encouragement, saying, “You can use this song. I hope you win the gold medal.” But Glenn made a costly mistake late in her program, turning a planned triple loop into a double. She received zero points for the element and cried after finishing. Music-rights disputes have surfaced repeatedly in Olympic figure skating beyond Glenn’s case. Glenn also faced an objection on social media from the creator of her free-skating music, “The Return,” and resolved the issue through contact just before the team event. In men’s singles, Spain’s Guarino Sabate ran into opposition from distributor Universal Pictures over his short-program music from the “Minions” soundtrack, but secured approval shortly before the competition. The International Skating Union said it is working with major record labels to help athletes use music without copyright problems.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-18 20:12:00

South Korea Women’s Curling Beats Sweden 8-3 to Keep Semifinal Hopes Alive South Korea’s women’s curling team known as “5G” kept its push for the semifinals alive by defeating Sweden in seven ends. World No. 3 South Korea — skip Kim Eun-ji, third Kim Min-ji, second Kim Su-ji, lead Seol Ye-eun and fifth Seol Ye-ji — beat Sweden 8-3 in its eighth round-robin game of the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics on the 18th (Korea time) at the Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Sweden, the most successful nation in Olympic women’s curling, opened these Games with six straight wins and had already clinched a semifinal berth. After securing that spot the previous day, Sweden made a series of mistakes against South Korea. With the hammer in the first end, South Korea loaded three stones into the house, then Kim Eun-ji used the final stone to knock out Sweden’s second shot stone for three points. South Korea added one more in the second end after Sweden skip Anna Hasselborg missed her final draw. Sweden faltered further as the deficit grew to 4-0. In the third end, Hasselborg tried a double takeout with her seventh stone to remove two South Korean stones near the button but missed, and South Korea scored two to make it 6-0. South Korea added two more in the fourth for an 8-0 lead, then allowed one point in the fifth end. In the sixth, South Korea had a chance to score but chose to give up one to keep last-stone advantage for the next end, making it 8-2. Sweden scored one more in the seventh as it used a center-guard setup, but South Korea managed the end calmly. Sweden then offered handshakes, judging a comeback unlikely. South Korea improved to 5-3 in group play and will face Canada on the 19th in its final round-robin game, with the top four teams advancing to the semifinals. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-18 19:27:00