"Will the First Gold Come from Short Track Speed Skating?"... Korea’s First Gold Medal Could Come from This Event Instead

[Financial News] "Will Korea’s first gold medal come from Short Track Speed Skating?"
At the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, that familiar script might finally be broken. In fact, many believe it needs to be. Before Korea’s traditional medal-rich events on the ice even tighten their skate laces, there is a man determined to deliver the first victory on the snowy slopes of the Alps.
That man is 31-year-old Lee Sang-ho, better known by his nickname, "Cabbage Boy."
As the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics opened with a spectacular ceremony on the morning of the 7th (Korea time), attention within the Korean delegation turned to one question: who will win Korea’s historic 400th Olympic medal?
So far, Korea has collected a total of 399 medals across the Summer and Winter Games. Just one more will raise that tally to the landmark figure of 400. The athlete considered the strongest candidate to claim that historic medal is snowboard star Lee Sang-ho.

On the first day of competition, the 8th (Korea time), Lee will compete in the men’s parallel giant slalom at Livigno Snow Park in Italy. After the qualifiers, the final is scheduled for 10:36 p.m. that night.
Given that the first Short Track Speed Skating medal event, the mixed relay, will not take place until the 10th, if Lee stands on the top step of the podium, he will single-handedly secure both Korea’s first gold of these Games and its 400th Olympic medal.
The mood around him could hardly be better. For Lee, this Olympics is more than just another challenge; it is a shot at redemption.
He won Korea’s first-ever Olympic medal on snow with a silver at Pyeongchang 2018, but four years later in Beijing he was eliminated in the quarterfinals, losing by just 0.01 seconds and leaving the course in tears. He has poured the last four years into shaving off that 0.01-second gap.
His form is already proven. On January 31, just before the Olympics, he captured the title at the World Cup in Slovenia, beating Italy’s Roland Fischnaller by 0.24 seconds and lifting the trophy in style. When he says, "My preparations are complete," it sounds less like bravado and more like quiet confidence.

If Lee Sang-ho stumbles, the next in line is fearless high school snowboarder Yoo Seung-eun, 18. Yoo will compete in the women’s big air on the 9th and 10th, hoping to spring a surprise and land on the podium.
Of course, Korea’s trusted powerhouse, short track, is also waiting in the wings. The Short Track Speed Skating team, led by stars such as Choi Min-jeong and Hwang Dae-heon, has set its sights on gold in the mixed relay 2000m on the 10th, aiming to erase the nightmare crash from the Beijing Games.
But in terms of schedule, the "big brother" on the slopes goes first.
Can Lee Sang-ho, before his short track "younger siblings" even take to the ice, unleash a blazing golden run and break the deadlock for the Korean team? The decisive moment will come on the night of the 8th.
jsi@fnnews.com Jeon Sang-il Reporter