Kim Gill-ri Wins 1500m Gold, Becomes Korea's First Double Gold Medalist

Short track speed skater Kim Gill-ri of Seongnam City Hall won the women's 1500m at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics, becoming the first Korean athlete to claim two gold medals at these Games.

Kim crossed the finish line first with a time of 2:32.076 in the women's 1500m final held at the Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, on February 21 (Korea time).

This marks Korea's third gold medal at the Olympics, following Choi Ga-on of Sehwa Girls' High School in women's snowboard halfpipe and the short track women's team in the 3000m relay.

Kim collected three medals at these Games: gold in the women's 3000m relay, gold in the women's 1500m, and bronze in the women's 1000m.

Choi Min-jung of Seongnam City Hall fell short of becoming the first to win three consecutive Olympic titles in this event but secured silver with a time of 2:32.450. She set a new Korean record for most Olympic medals across summer and winter Games with seven, surpassing Jin Jong-oh (shooting), Kim Soo-nyung (archery), and Lee Seung-hoon (speed skating), who each have six.

Kim's race was flawless. She comfortably won her quarterfinal heat and advanced to the final by finishing first in her semifinal. Meanwhile, medal contenders Courtney Sarault of Canada, Xandra Velzeboer, and Suzanne Schulting of the Netherlands all fell in the second semifinal heat, suddenly tilting conditions in Korea's favor.

Choi Min-jung, Kim's close senior teammate, also advanced by finishing second in her quarterfinal and first in her semifinal, setting up a Korean showdown in the final. Both skaters employed the same strategy, conserving energy at the back of the pack early while waiting for opportunities.

Choi made the first move. With seven laps remaining, she swung to the outside lane and overtook the leaders with all her strength, securing second place behind Kristen Santos-Griswold of the United States. Kim followed suit, cutting inside to move into third.

Santos-Griswold, who had led early, appeared to tire and lost speed. Choi and Kim seized the opportunity. With three laps to go, Choi held first place with Kim in second. From there, it became a two-woman race. With two laps remaining, "Lambor-Gill-ri" Kim made her lightning-fast move, passing Choi on the straightaway to take the lead. Kim extended her gap over the final lap and crossed the finish line first. After the race, the two embraced and congratulated each other.