SEOUL, February 08 (AJP) - South Korea is projected to win three gold medals and finish 15th in the overall standings at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, according to a forecast released by Sports Illustrated on February 8.
The 2026 Winter Games, which officially opened on February 6 and run through February 22, are being held across several clusters in Northern Italy, including Milano and Cortina d'Ampezzo. Approximately 2,900 athletes from 92 nations are competing for 116 gold medals in eight sports. This year's program features the Olympic debut of ski mountaineering and the return of NHL players to the men's ice hockey tournament.
Sports Illustrated expects South Korea's gold medal haul to come entirely from short track speed skating. Lim Jong-eon is tipped for the title in the men's 1,000 meters, while Kim Gil-li is favored in the women's 1,500 meters. The third gold is projected for the men's 5,000-meter relay team.
Beyond the top of the podium, the magazine predicts silver medals for Choi Min-jeong in the women's 1,500-meter short track and the mixed 2,000-meter relay team. The women's curling team and the women's 3,000-meter short track relay are both listed as bronze medal candidates.
The projections largely mirror a February 4 report from Shoreview Sports Analytics. The Canadian firm also predicted a seven-medal total for South Korea—comprising three gold, two silver, and two bronze—though it placed the nation one spot higher at 14th place overall.
Despite the identical total medal counts, the two outlets differ on where the gold medals will be won. Shoreview Sports Analytics expects Choi Ga-on to take gold in the women's snowboard halfpipe, an event in which Sports Illustrated did not list her as a medalist. Instead, Sports Illustrated projected Japan's Shimizu Sara for gold and American Chloe Kim for silver.
The firms also disagree on Lim Jong-eon's prospects; while Sports Illustrated sees him as a champion, Shoreview Sports Analytics placed him sixth. Conversely, the Canadian firm projects gold for the women's 3,000-meter relay team, an event Sports Illustrated marked for bronze.
In the race for the overall lead, Sports Illustrated puts Norway in the top spot with 16 golds, followed by the United States with 12 and Japan with nine. Shoreview Sports Analytics also lists Norway first with 14 golds, with the United States and Germany following with 13 and 12, respectively.
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