The 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics concluded on February 22 in Verona, Italy, with a celebration of the athletes' achievements over two weeks across northern Italy. This event was the first to officially include two host cities in its title and featured the most widespread venues ever, spanning about 22,000 square kilometers. South Korea met its goal by securing three gold medals among a total of 10.
The 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics drew to a close on Sunday, February 22, at the Verona Olympic Arena with a ceremony titled "Beauty in Action," paying tribute to Italy's landscapes and the athletes' performances. Athletes entered the arena to classic film soundtracks and Italian pop songs, and medalists from the final event, the men's and women's 50km classic mass start in cross-country skiing, received their awards during the victory ceremony in Verona. This tradition of honoring the last event at the closing began with the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics.
Newly elected International Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission member Won Yun-jong, selected during the Games, was introduced to a rousing ovation. At the ceremony's end, the Olympic flag was passed to the next Winter Olympics host, the French Alps in 2030. The event featured venues spread across northern Italy: Milan hosted all skating disciplines, Cortina d'Ampezzo handled curling and some snow events, with additional clusters for alpine skiing and snowboarding, as well as ski jumping and cross-country skiing. Milan and Cortina are about 260 kilometers apart, accommodating around 2,900 athletes from 92 countries over 22,000 square kilometers—the most dispersed Olympics to date.
South Korea dispatched 71 athletes in six sports, aiming for at least three gold medals, surpassing their 2022 Beijing tally by one. They achieved this with two golds in short track speed skating and one in snowboarding, plus four silvers and three bronzes, finishing 13th overall. Short tracker Kim Gil-li was the sole double gold medalist, winning the women's 1,500-meter and 3,000-meter relay titles. Choi Gaon claimed the women's halfpipe snowboarding gold after recovering from a fall in the final.
Co-flag bearers at the closing, short trackers Choi Min-jeong and Hwang Dae-heon, shone brightly. Choi earned gold in the relay and silver in the 1,500m, reaching seven career Olympic medals to become South Korea's most decorated Olympian. Hwang took silver in the men's 1,500m and contributed to the men's 5,000m relay silver, marking him as the first South Korean male short tracker to medal in three straight Winter Games. Choi said on the Olympic Information Service, "I didn't expect that I would carry the flag at the closing ceremony. I am very grateful to be able to finish the competition by taking on such a meaningful and wonderful role."
