Lee Seung-hoon, who made history as the first South Korean to reach an Olympic final in freeskiing, said he is focused on recovery after an unexpected injury ended his 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics.
After completing his Olympic schedule, Lee (Korea National Sport University) wrote on social media on the 21st that he had a fever and flu-like symptoms from the morning of competition day and began final practice with an injured right shoulder after the qualifying round.
He said he hurt his knee after a bad landing during practice. “I went back up to try to ride at least the third run, but the injury was more serious than I thought, so I decided to go to the hospital,” he wrote. Tests showed a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, damage to the lateral cartilage and a lateral bone bruise.
Lee also described the disappointment of missing the final. “When I realized something was wrong after I fell, I didn’t want to give up the Olympic final stage I had dreamed of,” he wrote. “I prepared for the Olympics doing my best so I wouldn’t have regrets. I wanted to show everything I had and compete without regrets.”
He added that accepting the situation was difficult, but said he would move on quickly and commit to rehabilitation “to work for what comes next.”
Earlier, Lee scored 76 points in qualifying to place 10th, becoming the first South Korean to advance to an Olympic freeski final. He credited those who helped him reach his second Olympics and said he was glad to close out his run in the pipe event, adding, “I’ll recover with strength,” as he wrapped up his Milan Winter Olympics journey.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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