At the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, South Korean speed skaters Kim Min-sun and Lee Na-hyun are pursuing their first Olympic medal in the women's 500 meters. Seen as successors to Lee Sang-hwa, they expressed confidence after their recent 1,000m race.
At the Milano Speed Skating Stadium during the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, South Korea's Kim Min-sun, 26, and Lee Na-hyun, 20, will compete in the women's 500 meters on Sunday. They aim to follow in the footsteps of Lee Sang-hwa, who secured gold medals in 2010 and 2014, and a silver in 2018.
Kim Min-sun is regarded as Lee's heir apparent, with multiple victories in International Skating Union World Cup events, though Olympic success has eluded her. She placed 16th in the 500m at her 2018 Olympic debut and seventh in 2022. Lee Na-hyun is an emerging star in the 500m, having set the world junior record in that distance in January 2024.
Both skaters raced in the 1,000m on Monday, their first event in Milan, where Lee finished ninth in 1:15.76 and Kim 18th in 1:16.24. Afterward, they reported feeling more confident about their prospects in the 500m.
On the same day, freestyle skier Jung Dae-yoon will take part in the men's dual moguls at Livigno Aerials & Moguls Park, north of Milan. He reached the final in the moguls event but fell short of a medal. The dual moguls features side-by-side knockout races on adjacent courses. South Korea's women's curling team will also continue their round-robin tournament against Japan at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d'Ampezzo, northeast of Milan.
