Figure skater Cha Jun-hwan eyes first-ever Olympic medal in free skate; Snowboarder Lee Chae-un carries halfpipe momentum into final

Short tracker Rim Jong-un poses on the podum after winning bronze in the men's 1,000-meter short track speedskating at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Thursday. (Yonhap)
Short tracker Rim Jong-un poses on the podum after winning bronze in the men's 1,000-meter short track speedskating at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Thursday. (Yonhap)

As the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics enter their second week, South Korea's medal picture is coming into focus.

So far, the standout storyline of the Games has been Korea's long-awaited breakthrough in snowboarding.

Choi Gaon stormed to gold in the women's snowboard halfpipe on Thursday night, delivering South Korea's first-ever gold in a snow event and the country's first gold medal of the Milan Cortina Games.

Snowboarder Kim Sang-kyum captured a surprise silver medal in the men's parallel giant slalom, and Yu Seung-eun won bronze in the women's big air.

Short tracker Choi Min-jeong takes part in the women's 500 meters on Thursday. (Yonhap)
Short tracker Choi Min-jeong takes part in the women's 500 meters on Thursday. (Yonhap)

As of press time, snowboarding accounts for three of Korea's four medals, with the country 11th in the overall standings.

The story on the ice has been less triumphant for a country long regarded as a powerhouse in short-track speedskating.

The short track team — one of the nation’s strongest medal hopes — has struggled to reach the podium. After showing promise in preliminary heats, Korea failed to medal in the women’s 500, where several favored skaters failed to make the finals.

The lone bright spot came in the men’s 1,000 meters, where Rim Jong-un claimed bronze on Thursday, securing South Korea’s first short track medal of this year's Winter Olympics.

Choi Min-jeong will look to return to the podium in the women’s 1,500 meters, bidding for her third Olympic gold at around 9 p.m. on Feb. 20 (Korean time).

Figure skater Cha Jun-hwa smiles after performing his short program in the men's singles figure skating competition on Tuesday. (Yonhap)
Figure skater Cha Jun-hwa smiles after performing his short program in the men's singles figure skating competition on Tuesday. (Yonhap)

But with several marquee events still ahead, Korea still has plenty to look forward to.

Figure skater Cha Jun-hwan, who ranked sixth in the short program of the men’s singles competition, is eyeing his first-ever Olympic medal as he heads into Friday's free skate, which starts 3 a.m. Saturday, Korea time. The 24-year-old sits about 10 points off the bronze medal position.

South Korean snowboarder Lee Chae-un competes in the men's halfpipe qualification on Wednesday. (Yonhap)
South Korean snowboarder Lee Chae-un competes in the men's halfpipe qualification on Wednesday. (Yonhap)

Around the same time, snowboarder Lee Chae-un is set to compete in the men’s halfpipe final. The 20-year-old aims to rebound from his previous Olympic heartbreak. He failed to advance past qualification at his Olympic debut in Beijing four years ago. He captured gold at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics.

Speedskater Kim Min-sun takes a breather after the women's 1,000 meters on Sunday. (Yonhap)
Speedskater Kim Min-sun takes a breather after the women's 1,000 meters on Sunday. (Yonhap)

Nicknamed “Little Lee Sang-hwa,” after the two-time Olympic champion in the women’s 500 meters, Kim Min-sun is a medal contender in the women’s 500 speedskating event. The event will take place at 1:03 a.m. Monday in Korea.


junheee@heraldcorp.com