South Korea’s top alpine snowboarder, Lee Sang-ho (Nexen Wingard), will try to add a milestone to the nation’s Olympic history at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
Lee is scheduled to compete Sunday (Korea time) in the men’s parallel giant slalom at Livigno Snow Park in Italy’s Sondrio province. Qualifying begins at 5 p.m., and if he finishes in the top 16, he will advance to the head-to-head finals starting at 9 p.m. to decide the medals.
Lee won silver in the men’s parallel giant slalom at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, delivering South Korea’s first-ever Olympic medal in skiing or snowboarding. He is seeking another Olympic medal for the first time in eight years after falling in the quarterfinals at the 2022 Beijing Games.
He has dealt with multiple injuries and had an uneven start to the season while continuing equipment tests. But he surged just before the Olympics, winning a International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) World Cup race on Jan. 31 in Rogla, Slovenia.
Lee, the captain of South Korea’s men’s team at these Games, is also aiming for what would be the nation’s first Olympic gold medal in skiing or snowboarding.
His result is drawing added attention because it could also mark South Korea’s 400th Olympic medal overall. South Korea have won 320 medals at the Summer Olympics (109 gold, 100 silver, 111 bronze) and 79 at the Winter Olympics (33 gold, 30 silver, 16 bronze), for a total of 399. The first South Korean medalist at the Milan Winter Olympics would become the 400th.
Also competing in the men’s parallel giant slalom are Kim Sang-gyeom (High1) and Cho Wan-hee (Jeonbuk Ski Association). In the women’s event, Jung Hae-rim (High1) is set to race.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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