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yesterday

South Korea Sets Three-Gold Target as Milan–Cortina Countdown Begins

South Korea enters the 30-day build-up with 37 qualifiers, awaiting late-January quota allocations.

South Korean athletes attend the ceremony marking the opening of the Jincheon National Training Center for the new year in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, on Jan. 7, 2026. (Yonhap)
South Korean figure skaters set to compete at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics pose for photos after their joint press conference at the Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, on Jan. 7, 2026. From left: Lee Hae-in, Shin Ji-a, Cha Jun-hwan and Kim Hyun-gyeom. (Yonhap)
South Korean athletes set to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, pose for photos at their joint press conference at Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, on Jan. 7, 2026. Back row, from left: short tracker Lee June-seo, short tracker Rim Jong-un, figure skater Kim Hyun-gyeom, figure skater Cha Jun-hwan and curler Jeong Yeong-seok. Bottom row, from left: speed skater Park Ji-woo, speed skater Kim Min-sun, figure skater Lee Hae-in, figure skater Shin Ji-a, short tracker Choi Min-jeong, short tracker Kim Gil-li and curler Kim Seon-yeong. (Yonhap)
Ryu Seung-min, president of the Korea Sport & Olympic Committee, gives a speech during the ceremony marking the opening of the Jincheon National Training Center for the new year in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, on Jan. 7, 2026. (Yonhap)

Overview

  • The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee set a goal of at least three gold medals, seeking to improve on the two won at Beijing 2022.
  • Officials said 37 athletes have qualified so far, with the delegation potentially expanding to about 69 after remaining quota spots are assigned later this month.
  • Skating chief Lee Soo-kyung emphasized broader medal hopes beyond ice events, pointing to freestyle snowboard, curling, bobsleigh and skeleton.
  • Short track teams are prioritizing relays, with the men chasing their first Olympic relay gold since 2006 and the women aiming to stay on the podium.
  • National teams convened at Jincheon with sport-science support, a mix of veterans and debutants, and reinstated figure skater Lee Hae-in cleared for Milan; mixed-doubles curlers Jeong Yeong-seok and Kim Seon-yeong plan a push after qualifying last month.