Yoo Seung-eun, who won bronze in women’s snowboard big air at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, smiles during a news conference at Korea House in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 20 (local time). [Photo by Yonhap]
Yoo Seung-eun, the first South Korean female skier or snowboarder to reach an Olympic podium, said she wants to strengthen her slopestyle performance after winning bronze in her main event, big air.
Speaking at a news conference at Korea House in Milan on Feb. 20 (local time), Yoo said, “I feel relieved now that the competition is over,” but added, “I’m disappointed and regretful because I couldn’t land all my runs in slopestyle.”
Yoo, a high school student born in 2008, won bronze in women’s snowboard big air on Feb. 10, delivering South Korea’s second medal of the Games. It was the country’s third Olympic medal in skiing and snowboarding and the first by a woman.
In slopestyle, Yoo qualified for the final in third place, but made mistakes on all three runs and finished last among the 12 finalists.
“The moment I remember most is my first run in the big air final,” she said. “In slopestyle, I realized I still have a lot to work on.” She added that she is weaker on rails and thought she “might have finished mid-pack” in slopestyle.
Yoo said she reached the Olympics despite suffering ankle and wrist fractures since 2024. “A lot of people around me helped and supported me. I never could have made it here on my own,” she said.
On her condition, she said her ankle has recovered, though it can hurt briefly when she takes a hard impact on the board. She said her wrist still makes it difficult to brace directly with her hand, but it does not affect daily life.
South Korean snowboarding set a single-Games record for medals, with Kim Sang-gyeom’s silver in men’s parallel giant slalom, Yoo’s bronze in big air and Choi Ga-on’s gold in halfpipe.
“I’m not a rider who’s naturally great — I’m someone who works hard,” Yoo said. “Including Ga-on, everyone rides so well and seems really talented.” She said she was impressed watching Choi fall hard on her first run but still execute her third run. “She’s my friend, but I respect her,” Yoo said.
Yoo said her preparation focused on big air, with airbag training in Japan. She said she prepared for slopestyle mainly by riding rails for about a month in Italy. “I’ll work to become a rider who can do both well,” she said.
Yoo said she had been focused only on this Olympics and had not thought much about what comes next, but added, “At the next Olympics, I’ll practice more so I can show an even better performance.”
Speaking at a news conference at Korea House in Milan on Feb. 20 (local time), Yoo said, “I feel relieved now that the competition is over,” but added, “I’m disappointed and regretful because I couldn’t land all my runs in slopestyle.”
Yoo, a high school student born in 2008, won bronze in women’s snowboard big air on Feb. 10, delivering South Korea’s second medal of the Games. It was the country’s third Olympic medal in skiing and snowboarding and the first by a woman.
In slopestyle, Yoo qualified for the final in third place, but made mistakes on all three runs and finished last among the 12 finalists.
“The moment I remember most is my first run in the big air final,” she said. “In slopestyle, I realized I still have a lot to work on.” She added that she is weaker on rails and thought she “might have finished mid-pack” in slopestyle.
Yoo said she reached the Olympics despite suffering ankle and wrist fractures since 2024. “A lot of people around me helped and supported me. I never could have made it here on my own,” she said.
On her condition, she said her ankle has recovered, though it can hurt briefly when she takes a hard impact on the board. She said her wrist still makes it difficult to brace directly with her hand, but it does not affect daily life.
South Korean snowboarding set a single-Games record for medals, with Kim Sang-gyeom’s silver in men’s parallel giant slalom, Yoo’s bronze in big air and Choi Ga-on’s gold in halfpipe.
“I’m not a rider who’s naturally great — I’m someone who works hard,” Yoo said. “Including Ga-on, everyone rides so well and seems really talented.” She said she was impressed watching Choi fall hard on her first run but still execute her third run. “She’s my friend, but I respect her,” Yoo said.
Yoo said her preparation focused on big air, with airbag training in Japan. She said she prepared for slopestyle mainly by riding rails for about a month in Italy. “I’ll work to become a rider who can do both well,” she said.
Yoo said she had been focused only on this Olympics and had not thought much about what comes next, but added, “At the next Olympics, I’ll practice more so I can show an even better performance.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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