South Korea Wins Short Track Relay Gold After 8-Year Drought

South Korea has struck gold in short track speed skating, the nation's traditional Winter Olympics powerhouse event. The women's team captured the 3,000-meter relay title at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

The Korean team of Choi Min-jeong, Kim Gil-li (both Seongnam City Hall), Noh Do-hee (Hwaseong City Hall), and Shim Suk-hee (Seoul City Hall) claimed gold with a time of 4:04.014 in the final held at the Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, on January 19 (Korea time).

The women's 3,000m relay has been Korea's flagship event, with four consecutive Olympic titles from Lillehammer 1994 and back-to-back wins at Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018.

However, the team had been in decline since Pyeongchang. Rising competition from the Netherlands and Canada leveled the playing field, while allegations of deliberate collision during the 2018 Games fractured team unity.

At this critical juncture, team captain Choi Min-jeong made a pivotal decision. Despite carrying emotional scars from the collision controversy, she chose to reconcile with senior teammate Shim Suk-hee for the sake of rebuilding the program.

The decision paid dividends. The women's team regained confidence by winning the 3,000m relay at the first World Tour event of the 2025-2026 season.

Team harmony was evident heading into the Olympics. Choi attended a birthday celebration for Shim on January 30 at the Olympic venue.

The two skaters, who had combined for a first-place semifinal finish, delivered again in the final to secure the Korean short track team's first gold of these Games.

With 16 laps remaining, Korea sat in fourth among four teams after a Dutch skater's fall created separation from the leading pack.

From this dire position, Choi, Kim, Noh, and Shim mounted a fierce comeback. With five laps to go, Shim delivered a powerful push to Choi on the straightaway.

The momentum propelled Choi past Canada into second place. Anchor Kim Gil-li then overtook Italy for a dramatic gold-medal finish. Choi and Shim held the Korean flag in celebration after the race. Before the medal ceremony, the team performed a tribute to veteran teammate Lee So-yeon.