Kim Sang-gyeom poses with his board after receiving the silver medal in the men’s snowboard parallel giant slalom at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics at Livigno Snow Park in Italy on Feb. 8. [Photo=Yonhap]
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.
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.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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