Kim Sang-gyeom (37, High1), who won silver in men's parallel giant slalom to deliver South Korea's first medal at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, shed tears of joy during a video call with his wife immediately after the race.
On February 8 (local time), Kim finished second behind Benjamin Karl of Austria in the men's parallel giant slalom at Livigno Snow Park in Italy, claiming the silver medal.
The silver is South Korea's first medal at this Winter Olympics and the nation's 400th Olympic medal across both Summer and Winter Games.
Kim is a pioneer who became the first Korean athlete to compete in this event at the 2014 Sochi Games. He achieved his dream of becoming an Olympic medalist on his fourth Olympic attempt.
After the race, Kim showed his silver medal through his phone screen during a video call with his wife Park Han-sol, and footage of him wiping away tears overwhelmed with emotion touched many hearts. Park shared the video on her social media on February 9 (Korea time) with a message: "I sincerely thank everyone who cheered for him."
In the video, Kim could not speak as he wiped his tears with the neck warmer around his neck. Park recalled, "During the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, when I had decided to marry him, we shared tears of disappointment over a video call after he was eliminated in the round of 16. That's when I felt, 'Ah, we are partners who will share sorrow together for life.'"
She added, "He is someone who only makes promises he can keep. It broke my heart to see him so sad at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics when he couldn't win the medal he had longed for."
"We comforted each other saying 'medals are given by heaven,'" she continued. "In a documentary released before the Olympics, what moved me most was my husband saying, 'I really want to win a medal and give my wife a good memory.'"
Park expressed gratitude, saying, "This is his fourth Olympics, which he never could have reached alone. The hearts of so many people who cared for and believed in him have come together, and he has finally given them a precious reward."
In a post-race interview with JTBC, Kim said, "Thank you for waiting for me. I want to put this medal around the necks of my mom, dad, and wife."