Kim Gil-li Wins Olympic Gold, Choi Min-jeong Announces Retirement

Milan, Italy – Kim Gil-li of South Korea secured the gold medal in the women’s 1,500m short track speed skating event at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, defeating her mentor and teammate, Choi Min-jeong, who took silver. This victory marks a significant moment in Korean short track history, as Choi Min-jeong announced her retirement following the race.

Kim Gil-li’s Triumph

Kim Gil-li finished the race with a time of 2 minutes 32.076 seconds, outpacing Choi Min-jeong’s 2 minutes 32.450 seconds. This is Kim Gil-li’s second gold medal of the Milan Olympics, having previously contributed to the Korean team’s victory in the women’s 3,000m relay. She also earned a bronze medal in the women’s 1,000m event .

“I always wanted to stand on the podium with Min-jeong,” Kim said, expressing her disbelief at surpassing her idol. “I still cannot believe I beat someone I’ve admired since I was a kid.”

Choi Min-jeong’s Historic Career and Retirement

While narrowly missing the gold, Choi Min-jeong’s silver medal adds to her already impressive Olympic record. With this result, she now holds a total of seven Olympic medals (four gold and three silver), setting a new record for the most medals won by a Korean athlete in both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games.

Choi Min-jeong announced her retirement immediately following the race, bringing an end to a decorated career that included gold medals in the women’s 1,500m at the 2018 Pyeongchang and 2022 Beijing Games.

Other Korean Performances

The Korean team also secured a silver medal in the men’s 5,000m relay, finishing with a time of 6 minutes 52.239 seconds, behind the Netherlands (6 minutes 51.847 seconds).

In speed skating, Park Ji-woo finished 21st in the women’s 1,500m with a time of 1 minute 58.26 seconds, while Lim Ri-won placed 28th (1 minute 59.73 seconds).

The Korean team in women’s two-man bobsleigh, comprised of Kim Yu-ran and Jeon Eun-ji, currently ranks 15th out of 25 teams with a combined time of 1 minute 55.79 seconds after the first two rounds.

Lee Seung-hoon qualified for the finals of the men’s freestyle ski halfpipe, ranking 10th in the preliminaries, but was forced to withdraw due to a knee injury sustained during practice.

Medal Standings

With these results, South Korea has risen to 13th place in the overall medal rankings, with three gold medals, four silver medals, and three bronze medals.

Norway continues to lead the medal count with 17 gold medals, 10 silver medals, and 10 bronze medals, setting a new record for the most gold medals won at a single Winter Olympics. The United States is in second place, and Italy is in third.