![South Korea’s women’s short track team celebrate after winning gold in the 3,000-meter relay final at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. [Photo=Yonhap/Reuters]](https://image.ajunews.com/content/image/2026/02/19/20260219052822855836.jpg)
SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) -South Korea staged a dramatic late comeback to reclaim the women’s 3,000-meter short track relay title at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on Wednesday, restoring pride in one of the nation’s signature events.
Anchored by Kim Gil-li, the Korean quartet surged past Italy in the final two laps to win gold in 4 minutes, 4.014 seconds at the Milan Ice Skating Arena.
The team, also featuring Choi Min-jeong, Shim Suk-hee and Noh Do-hee, edged host Italy by just 0.093 seconds, with Canada finishing third in 4:04.314.
Defending champions the Netherlands were eliminated from contention after a crash with 16 laps remaining, setting up a three-way battle among Korea, Italy and Canada.
Italy, led by veteran star Arianna Fontana, controlled much of the closing phase and entered the final two laps in front. Kim, however, accelerated down the inside lane and lunged across the line to seal victory, triggering emotional celebrations among the Korean skaters.
“This was a team effort,” Choi said in a broadcast interview. “We trusted each other, and that made the difference.”
First short track gold in Milan
The relay triumph marked South Korea’s first gold medal in short track at these Games and its second gold overall. It also reaffirmed the country’s dominance in the event, where it has now won seven of the 10 Olympic titles since its debut at the 1992 Albertville Games.
For Choi, the victory carried special significance. The gold was her sixth Olympic medal, making her the most decorated Korean woman in Winter Games history.
The win also capped a renewed partnership between Choi and Shim, whose relationship had been strained following incidents after the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. Ahead of Milan-Cortina, Choi, now team captain, reached out first, helping rebuild trust and improve cohesion within the squad.
Their roles were adjusted for the relay, with Choi leading off and Shim skating fourth, maximizing speed and pushing power during exchanges.
Curlers keep semifinal hopes alive
Elsewhere, South Korea’s women’s curling team boosted its semifinal chances with an emphatic 8–3 win over Sweden at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.
Skip Gim Eun-ji led Korea to an 8–0 lead through four ends, highlighted by a promotion takeout in the opener. Sweden, skipped by Anna Hasselborg, conceded after seven ends.
The victory improved Korea’s round-robin record to 5–3. The team will face Canada on Thursday with a place in the semifinals at stake.
Despite the relay breakthrough, South Korea has yet to win an individual short track gold in Milan-Cortina. Only two events remain: the men’s 500 meters on Thursday and the women’s 1,500 meters on Feb. 21.
No Korean skater advanced to the men’s 500-meter final, leaving the women’s 1,500 meters—led by Choi and Kim—as the nation’s final opportunity for individual gold.
So far, Korea has collected one silver and two bronze medals in individual short track events. Failure to secure a gold would mark its first individual shutout since short track became an Olympic sport in 1992.
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