South Korea's women's short track 3,000-meter relay team won gold at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, lifting pressure from anchor Kim Gil-li. Choi Min-jeong earned her sixth Olympic medal, tying the South Korean record. The victory reaffirms Korea's status as a short track powerhouse.
At the Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on February 19, South Korea's women's 3,000-meter short track relay team—Choi Min-jeong, Kim Gil-li, Noh Do-hee, and Shim Suk-hee—claimed gold at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, edging out Italy and Canada. Dutch skater Michelle Velzeboer fell, nearly taking down Choi Min-jeong, but Choi stayed upright, and anchor Kim Gil-li executed a thrilling late pass to secure the win.
Kim Gil-li, the 21-year-old anchor, expressed relief afterward: "I had been feeling like I had to be responsible for the result of the entire team. And now that the relay is over, I can go back to concentrating on my own race now. I feel a little more comfortable." She overcame past setbacks, including a fall at the 2025 Asian Winter Games in Harbin that led to fourth place and a trip in the mixed team relay semifinals in Milan. "Ever since the Asian Games, I really wanted to make up for my mistake there," she said. "My teammates really picked me up and had my back."
The victory marked Choi Min-jeong's sixth Olympic medal—four golds and two silvers—tying her with archer Kim Soo-nyung, shooter Jin Jong-oh, and speed skater Lee Seung-hoon for the most by a South Korean athlete. "Since I started short track, I've never paid much attention to records," Choi said. "I just want to keep skating the way I always have." She eyes a three-peat in the 1,500m on February 21, which would also tie Chun Lee-kyung's four Winter golds. This is South Korea's seventh Olympic gold in the women's relay and its first short track medal in Milan.
President Lee Jae-myung congratulated the team on Facebook: "I extend my deepest congratulations... proof that South Korea's reputation as a short track powerhouse is no exaggeration." Men's team captain Lee June-seo, inspired by the win, said his squad aims to minimize mistakes in their 5,000m relay final the next day.
