Yoo Seung-eun Returns Home with Historic Snowboard Bronze Medal

Yoo Seung-eun (Seongbok High School), who won the first-ever medal in snowboard big air at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, has returned home in triumph.

Snowboard big air bronze medalist Yoo Seung-eun arrived at Incheon International Airport on the 21st.

As the first Korean female snowboarder to compete in the big air event, she scored a combined 166.50 points in the qualifiers to advance to the finals in fourth place among 29 competitors. She was also the first Korean to reach the finals.

In the finals, Yoo scored 171 points to claim the bronze medal behind Kokomo Murase of Japan (179 points) and Zoi Sadowski-Synnott of New Zealand (172.25 points).

Riding her momentum, Yoo also competed in slopestyle, qualifying for the finals in third place but finishing 12th, falling short of winning multiple medals.

Meeting with reporters after her arrival, Yoo said, "Just being able to snowboard at the Olympics wearing the Taegeuk mark is an honor in itself. Winning a medal on top of that makes it an even greater honor."

She added, "I learned a lot through the Olympics, and my confidence has grown. It was a stage where I could feel and learn a lot about what I do well and what I still need to improve."

Welcomed by many fans at the arrival hall, Yoo said, "I honestly thought no one would be here. I thought I might be walking in alone with my medal, so I was surprised to see so many people."

She expressed her gratitude, saying, "I don't take this support for granted. I'm truly grateful for all the cheers you sent during the Olympics."