The roar of the crowd echoed through the Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, as Kim Gilli, the rising star of South Korean short track speed skating, clinched a dramatic bronze medal in the women’s 1000m final at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on February 16. It was a race packed with tension, reversals, and redemption—a fitting stage for Kim’s Olympic debut and a testament to her resilience.
Kim, just 22 and representing Seongnam City Hall, finished the final in 1 minute 28.614 seconds, trailing only Sandra Velzeboer of the Netherlands (1:28.437) and Canada’s Courtney Sarault (1:28.523). Her bronze marked South Korea’s sixth medal of these Olympics and stood as the first women’s short track medal for her country at this edition of the Games.
The journey to the podium was anything but smooth. Kim’s path was fraught with adversity, including a heart-stopping semifinal incident. In that race, Belgian skater Hanne Desmet tripped Kim with five laps remaining. Though Kim tumbled onto the ice, she got up and finished the race. After an official review, Desmet was penalized and Kim was granted advancement to the final. “There were so many collisions on the way to the final,” Kim recalled after the race. “My goal for the final was just not to fall. I’m so relieved now.”
That sense of relief was palpable as Kim, draped in the Korean flag, circled the rink with tears in her eyes, waving to the fans who had cheered her on through every twist and turn. This Olympic medal was not only her first, but it also marked the realization of a childhood dream that had begun in the most unexpected way. Inspired by the legendary figure skater Kim Yuna, Kim Gilli first laced up skates at age seven. “My mom’s friend’s daughter was taking figure skating lessons, so I wanted to try too,” she once reminisced. However, with no figure skating classes nearby, she turned to short track—and the rest, as they say, is history.
Her athletic pedigree runs deep. Kim’s father was a standout athlete, and it quickly became clear that she inherited his speed and agility. After just a month in a weekend skating class, Kim won her first amateur competition, setting her on a fast track to elite status. By elementary and middle school, she was already dominating national meets. In 2020, she captured gold in the 1000m at the Junior World Championships, and by the 2023–24 season, she topped the World Cup overall rankings, sharing the national spotlight with veteran Choi Minjeong.
But Olympic glory had eluded her once before. Kim narrowly missed selection for the 2022 Beijing Olympics, a disappointment that fueled her determination. This time, she stormed through the notoriously tough Korean national trials, earning her place on the Olympic team and, finally, her chance to shine on the world’s biggest stage.
The final itself was a masterclass in grit and tactical savvy. Kim started from the back of the five-skater pack, conserving energy as the early leaders jostled for position. With four laps to go, she surged into third, then slipped inside to briefly grab second. The battle at the front intensified—Velzeboer and Sarault pressed ahead, but Kim refused to yield. In the final lap, she made one last push, crossing the line in third to secure her place on the podium.
“The medal feels heavier than I thought,” Kim grinned to reporters in the mixed zone. “Now I want to stand even higher. I gained so much strength from everyone cheering for me, even during the New Year holidays. I’m just so grateful.” She was quick to thank her senior teammate Choi Minjeong, who, despite being eliminated in the semifinals, was among the first to congratulate Kim. “Having my respected senior cheer me on made me so happy. Everyone told me I did well, and I’m so thankful.”
Choi, a celebrated figure in Korean short track, finished third in the ranking final (Final B) with a time of 1:31.208, placing eighth overall. Her Olympic journey in the 1000m may not have ended with a medal, but her support for Kim underscored the camaraderie and continuity within the Korean team. Notably, both athletes are set to compete again in the women’s 1500m event on February 21, with Kim also slated for the 3000m relay. “Now that the 1000m is over, I feel more confident,” Kim said. “I think I can skate even better in the 1500m and relay. All that’s left is to give it my all.”
Kim’s bronze was hard-won, not just in the final but throughout a turbulent Olympic campaign. Earlier in the Games, she suffered a painful fall in the mixed 2000m relay after a collision with an American skater, resulting in elimination and minor injuries. In her individual events, she twice hit the ice—each time picking herself up and fighting back. Her semifinal advancement in the 1000m, awarded after being tripped, was a microcosm of her entire Olympic experience: perseverance, resilience, and an unyielding spirit.
The broader context of South Korea’s performance at these Olympics adds further luster to Kim’s achievement. Her medal joined a growing tally for the Korean delegation, which by February 16 included silver and bronze in snowboarding and men’s short track, as well as gold in the women’s snowboard halfpipe. Kim’s breakthrough as the first Korean woman to medal in short track at these Games was particularly significant, signaling the continued strength and depth of the nation’s storied speed skating tradition.
As the arena lights dimmed and the celebrations subsided, Kim Gilli’s focus shifted to the challenges ahead. With her confidence soaring and the support of her teammates and country behind her, she’s set her sights on even greater heights. The women’s 1500m and 3000m relay are just around the corner—don’t be surprised if Kim’s Olympic story has more thrilling chapters yet to come.
For now, though, her bronze medal stands as a symbol of perseverance and promise—a reminder that the Olympic dream is alive and well on the ice in Milan.