"You’ll Really Regret It If You Fall Asleep"... In the Early Hours Tomorrow, a Shower of Gold Medals for South Korea [2026 Milan]

[Financial News] The moment has finally arrived. The "fateful dawn" that can wash away the long‐standing medal drought in one stroke is almost here. In the early hours of the 13th (Korea time), South Korea is widely expected to celebrate its first gold medals from Milan and Livigno at almost the same time. This time, the belief in gold may truly be justified.
The athlete most likely to deliver the first victory is "snowboard prodigy" Choi Ga-on of Sehwa Girls’ High School. At 3:30 a.m. on the 13th, Korea time, Choi will compete in the women’s snowboard halfpipe final at Livigno Snow Park in Italy.
Her sixth-place score in qualifying (82.25 points) is just a number. Choi, who has swept three wins on the FIS World Cup circuit this season and sits atop the world rankings, deliberately conserved her energy in the heats. After the race she said, "I haven’t even shown half of the skills I’ve prepared yet," signaling a "big bang" performance in the final.
Her main rival is Chloe Kim of the United States, the defending champion chasing a third straight Olympic title and the top qualifier. But once Choi Ga-on finally unveils her hidden trump cards in the Livigno night sky, the owner of the gold medal could very well change.


While Choi Ga-on soars above the snow, the "world’s strongest" short track squad will be out to restore its pride on the ice in Milan.
Starting at 4:15 a.m., the short track national team will begin its hunt for individual medals at the Milan Ice Skating Arena. The misfortune of the collision in the mixed relay on the opening day has been put behind them. If anything, that disappointment has only made the skaters more ruthless in their determination.
The most promising "gold vein" is the men’s 1000m. Ace skater Im Jong-eon of Goyang City Hall, who is aiming for multiple titles at these Games, will lead the charge, backed by Hwang Dae-heon of the Gangwon Provincial Government and Shin Dong-min of Hwaseong City Hall. As this is a strategic distance for Korean short track, the odds are very high that the top step of the podium will belong to South Korea.

In the women’s 500m, "ice queen" Choi Min-jeong of Seongnam City Hall will be joined by Kim Gil-li of Seongnam City Hall and Lee So-yeon of Sports Toto. Kim, in particular, collided with a U.S. skater and injured her arm in the mixed relay semifinal, yet she has fought through the pain and prepared meticulously for her individual race. Expectations are high for a miraculous run born from their sheer determination.
In the early hours of the 13th, South Korea is set to heat up with a stream of "golden" news from snowboard and short track. All the public needs to do is relax and enjoy the reports of victory.
jsi@fnnews.com Jeon Sang-il Reporter