⛸️ Figure Skating Quota Reduced to 1 & IOC Announces New Rules! 📢 - 2026.03.27 | 2026 Winter Sports Festival

Hello, fans! It's Milano Expedition! 🇮🇹❄️ The lingering excitement of the recently concluded 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics is still with us, but we're already hearing various news preparing for the next season and the future. Today, I've gathered everything from the Figure Skating World Championships to the IOC's new rule announcement, so stay with me until the end! 👀

⛸️ Disappointing Men's Figure Skating Results... Quota Reduced to 1 😢

It's sad news that Cha Junhwan, who thrilled us by placing 4th at the Milano Olympics—the best ever for Korean men's figure skating—has withdrawn from this World Championships due to injury ^[1]. He showed great fighting spirit with a foot injury during the Olympics, but ultimately decided to rest this time for treatment and recovery ^[1].

In his place, Cha Young-hyun and Kim Hyun-gyeom competed in the short program at the World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, but unfortunately placed 27th (70.92 points) and 28th (70.71 points) respectively, failing to advance to the free skate where the top 24 compete ^[1]. As a result, Korea's quota for men's figure skating at the next World Championships has been reduced from 2 to 1 ^[1]. Although this competition leaves some regrets, I believe our athletes will grow wonderfully and show even better performances on the next stage! Let's all send them our warm support! 👏

🏛️ IOC Officially Adopts New Eligibility Rules! ⚖️

After 18 months of review, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has officially adopted a policy banning transgender athletes from competing in women's categories ^[2]. This rule will be applied starting from the 2028 LA Olympics ^[2].

In fact, during the recently concluded Milano Olympics, Sweden's Ellis Lundholm made headlines as the first transgender athlete in winter sports to compete in the women's freestyle skiing moguls event ^[2]. The IOC, after reviewing with experts in various fields such as sports science and endocrinology, concluded that biological males have an advantage in sports relying on muscle strength and power ^[2]. From now on, eligibility will be determined through SRY gene testing, a decision made to protect fairness and safety in women's categories ^[2].

💰 Strong Support! Upbit's Generous Donation 🤝

Lastly, I have some heartwarming news! Upbit (Dunamu), an official partner of the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, has delivered a donation to the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee ^[3]. This donation will serve as a great motivation for the national athletes who performed wonderfully at the Olympics and will be valuably used to expand the base of winter sports ^[3]. I hope they continue to provide massive support so our athletes can train in better environments! 🎿⛸️

That's all the news I've prepared for today! The Olympics may be over, but our athletes' sweat and challenges continue, so let's keep cheering passionately with Milano Expedition! See you in the next newsletter! 👋❄️