South Korea ends 17-day campaign across ice and snow as Winter Olympics close
By Yoo Na-hyunPosted : February 23, 2026, 16:51Updated : February 23, 2026, 16:51
Choi Ga-on performs during the first run of the women’s snowboard halfpipe final at the Livigno Snowpark during the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo 2026 Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy. on Feb. 13. 2026. Yonhap
SEOUL, February 23 (AJP) - The 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics concluded Sunday (KST), bringing down the curtain on a 17-day celebration of winter sports across northern Italy.
The Games officially ended with a closing ceremony held at the Verona Arena early Sunday morning Korea time.
South Korea, which sent a 130-member delegation including 71 athletes, collected a total of 10 medals — three gold, four silver and three bronze — to finish 13th overall. The team achieved its target of winning at least three gold medals, one more than at the 2022 Beijing Games, but fell short of its other goal of breaking into the top 10 in the medal standings.
Short track speed skating once again proved to be the backbone of Korea’s medal haul. Two-time gold medalist Kim Gil-li led the charge, helping the team secure two golds, three silvers and two bronzes in the sport. Snowboarding, long considered a weak point for Korea, delivered one of the Games' most notable breakthroughs. Choi Ga-on captured gold in the women’s halfpipe, marking a milestone for the country’s snow events.
In men’s snowboard competitions, Yoo Seung-eun earned a medal in big air, while Kim Sang-gyeom added another in parallel giant slalom, underscoring Korea’s growing competitiveness on snow. Overall, snowboarders claimed one gold, one silver and one bronze, exceeding expectations.
Built on the traditional strength of ice events and bolstered by emerging success on snow, the Milan-Cortina Games signaled an expanding horizon for Korean winter sports. The next Winter Olympics will be held in the French Alps in 2030.
Kim Gil-li and Choi Min-jeong race during the women’s 1,500m final in short track speed skating at the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo 2026 Winter Olympics at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 20. 2026. (local time). Yonhap
Kim Sang-gyeom speeds toward the finish line during the men’s snowboard parallel giant slalom semifinal at the Livigno Snowpark at the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo 2026 Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy, on Feb. 8, 2026. Yonhap
Lee Jung-min races during the men’s 5,000m relay final in short track speed skating at the Milan Ice Skating Arena during the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 20, 2026. Yonhap
Cha Jun-hwan performs during the men’s single free skating program at the Milan Ice Skating Arena during the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. Composite image created from seven frames, on Feb. 14, 2026. Yonhap
Yoo Seung-eun performs during her first run in the women’s snowboard slopestyle final at the Livigno Snowpark during the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo 2026 Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy, on Feb. 19, 2026. Yonhap
Lee Hae-in performs to “K-pop Demon Hunters” during the figure skating gala exhibition at the Milan Ice Skating Arena at the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 21, 2026. Yonhap
Members of Team South Korea enter during the closing ceremony of the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo 2026 Winter Olympics at the Verona Arena in Verona, Italy, on Feb. 22, 2026. Yonhap
A performance takes place during the closing ceremony of the Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo 2026 Winter Olympics at the Verona Arena in Verona, Italy, on Feb. 22, 2026. Yonhap