A South Korean four-man bobsleigh team captured bronze at the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF) World Cup on the Italian track set to host the 2026 Winter Olympics. The achievement bolsters the country's medal hopes for the upcoming Games. The team finished third behind two German squads for gold and silver.
On Sunday (local time), a South Korean four-man bobsleigh team secured bronze at the first International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF) World Cup of the season in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. The team, consisting of pilot Kim Jin-su, pushmen Kim Sun-wook and Kim Hyeong-geun, and brakeman Lee Geon-u, finished with a total time of 1:50.34. Gold went to the German team piloted by Johannes Lochner in 1:49.73, while another German squad led by Francesco Friedrich took silver in 1:49.95.
The final standings were set after two runs, with the South Korean team recording 55.14 seconds in the first and 55.20 in the second. Markus Treichl's Austrian team posted 55.19 and 55.16 seconds, finishing just 0.01 seconds behind South Korea overall. This marks South Korea's first World Cup medal in the four-man event.
"I am really gratified with the third-place finish. It means so much more to me because I competed with such great teammates," Kim Jin-su said in a statement from the Korea Bobsleigh Skeleton Federation. "The Olympic track here may seem easy but is actually difficult in some corners, and vice versa in some other areas. We will try our best to grab an Olympic medal."
The previous day, Kim Jin-su and Kim Hyeong-geun placed fourth in the two-man race in Cortina d'Ampezzo. The IBSF World Cup moves to Innsbruck, Austria, starting Friday.
South Korea's sole Olympic bobsleigh medal is a silver in the four-man event won by Won Yun-jong's team at the 2018 PyeongChang Games, the only such medal by an Asian country. This result enhances expectations for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.