U.S. short track skater Corinne Stoddard has issued a public apology after colliding with South Korea’s Kim Gil Li (Seongnam City Hall) at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics.
Stoddard wrote on Instagram on Tuesday (Korea time) that she wanted to apologize publicly to her teammates for her performance the day before and to any other athletes affected by what happened.
“What happened yesterday was not intentional,” she said, adding that she wanted a strong result but “seems to have had an issue with my condition.”
She said she would identify the cause through training and return to her previous form.
On Monday, Stoddard slipped and fell during the second semifinal heat of the mixed 2,000-meter relay at the Milan Ice Skating Arena. Kim, who was closely chasing the U.S. team, could not avoid her and crashed head-on, also falling.
South Korea finished third in the heat and failed to advance to the final, which takes the top two teams.
After the race, some fans left critical comments on Stoddard’s Instagram account, and she disabled comments. A day later, she posted her apology, including a message to Kim.
Stoddard fell multiple times, including in the mixed 2,000-meter relay. Afterward, U.S. short track skaters Andrew Heo and Braden Kim, both Korean American, defended her, saying the ice was too soft.
Stoddard said she would take a break from social media. “There are a lot of things being said about yesterday’s race, but I’m not going to keep those words in my head,” she wrote, thanking supporters and asking them to “watch a little longer.”
Stoddard has faced repeated misfortune in Olympic seasons. At the 2022 Beijing Games, she suffered a serious injury, breaking her nose, and later struggled with insomnia and considered retirement.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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