South Korea Takes Silver in Men's Short Track Relay at Milan-Cortina 2026

South Korea's men's short track speed skating team won the silver medal in the relay event at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

Lim Jong-eon (Goyang City Hall), Hwang Dae-heon (Gangwon Provincial Office), Lee Jung-min, and Lee Jun-seo (both Seongnam City Hall) finished second behind the Netherlands in the men's 5,000-meter relay final at the Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, on January 21 (Korea time). The team narrowly missed capturing South Korea's first Olympic gold in the event in 20 years since the 2006 Turin Games.

This silver medal marks South Korea's eighth medal at the Games. The medal haul began on January 8 with Kim Sang-kyum's silver in men's snowboard parallel giant slalom, followed by Yoo Seung-eun's bronze in women's snowboard big air on January 10. Choi Ga-on claimed gold in women's snowboard halfpipe on January 13, while Lim Jong-eon took bronze in men's 1,000-meter short track on the same day. Hwang Dae-heon earned silver in the men's 1,500 meters on January 15, Kim Gil-li won bronze in women's 1,000 meters on January 16, and the women's team secured gold in the 3,000-meter relay on January 19.

South Korea raced in the order of Lee Jun-seo, Hwang Dae-heon, Lee Jung-min, and Lim Jong-eon. The team conserved energy at the back of the pack early on before making their push in the middle stages of the race.

With 24 laps remaining, Lee Jung-min, known for his overtaking ability, passed Canada to move into third place. Lee, who delivered a stunning overtaking performance in the semifinals, continued his impressive form. With 18 laps to go, he targeted the inside lane to pass Italy and secure second position.

South Korea fluctuated between second and third place before Lim Jong-eon picked up the pace to maintain a stable hold on second. During his next turn, Lee Jung-min again drove into the inside lane on the straightaway, overtaking the Netherlands to seize the lead.

South Korea built momentum with increased speed, but with seven laps remaining, Hwang Dae-heon was passed by the Netherlands and dropped to second. Lee Jung-min attempted a comeback with everything he had but was blocked on the outside lane.

Running in second place with three laps to go, Lee Jun-seo was pushed back by Italy on the straightaway, dropping the team to third. However, anchor Hwang Dae-heon charged up the outside lane with two laps remaining to reclaim second position.

South Korea crossed the finish line in second place after an intense battle to claim the valuable medal. Shin Dong-min (Hwaseong City Hall), who competed in the semifinals, also received a silver medal.

Despite the spirited race, South Korea fell short of reclaiming the top of the podium for the first time in 20 years since the 2006 Turin Games. Italy took the bronze medal, while Canada finished fourth and missed the podium.