⛸️ 'No Medals' for First Time in 24 Years, But It's Not Over! Milano Olympics Recap 🇮🇹 - 2026.02.22 | Speed Skating

Hello, Speed Skating Fans! It's Speed Skating Mania! ❄️

The 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, which made us laugh and cry for 17 days, has finally come to an end ^[14]. Our national speed skating team worked really hard. Although we didn't get the results we wanted, I send a big round of applause to the athletes who ran until the end, and here is the final news wrap-up.

🏁 Last Hope Mass Start, Regrettable 5th Place

Yesterday, on the last day of the competition, Jeong Jae-won raced with all his might in the Men's Mass Start final. However, the result was 5th place ^[1]. It was even more regrettable because the difference from the bronze medalist was only 0.18 seconds ^[3].

In an interview after the race, Jeong Jae-won expressed his regret, saying, "I wanted to put a medal around my wife's neck..." and blamed himself for his tactical judgment ^[4]. Park Ji-woo in the women's division also advanced to the final and aimed for a last-minute comeback, but finished the race in 14th place ^[5]. Both athletes did a great job! 👏

💔 'Empty Hands' for First Time in 24 Years, Homework for Korean Speed Skating

With this, Korean Speed Skating has received a report card of 'No Medals' at the Olympics for the first time in 24 years since the 2002 Salt Lake City Games ^[2].

Many analyze that these are growing pains during the generational shift after the golden era led by Lee Sang-hwa, Mo Tae-bum, and Lee Seung-hoon ^[6]. There were also points raised from the field that we couldn't keep up with the overwhelming physicality and physical training systems of European athletes ^[7]. I hope that with this pain as a turning point, and with your constant support and system improvements, we can soar again at the French Alps Olympics in 4 years! 🙏

🇭🇺 Kim Min-seok's Honest Confession

Kim Min-seok, who participated in this Olympics wearing a Hungarian uniform, also failed to advance to the final, ranking 12th in the Mass Start semi-finals ^[9].

In an interview after the game, Kim Min-seok confessed his feelings about having no choice but to choose naturalization, saying, "I loved Korea so much, but skating was my everything" ^[8]. Although he didn't win a medal, he said he had no regrets as he did his best and expressed his intention to try again in 4 years ^[10].

🌍 Hot Issues on Ice

Golden Sprint at 40: The 'Iron Man' of the Netherlands, Jorrit Bergsma, won the gold medal in the Men's Mass Start at the age of 40! Reclaiming the top spot after 12 years, isn't it amazing? ^[11]
Explosive Stardom: Dutch athlete Jutta Leerdam is a hot topic not only for her performance but also for her star power. It is said that the auction price for the suit she wore is approaching 10 million won ^[12].

📺 Tonight! Kim Bo-reum on Variety Show

News to soothe your disappointment! 2018 PyeongChang silver medalist Kim Bo-reum will appear on the variety show 'Ask Anything' tonight (23rd) ^[13]. She will talk about her worries about her second life after retirement, so if you are a speed skating fan, tune in!

This Olympics is over, but our athletes' challenge continues. Looking forward to a stronger Korean Speed Skating team returning in 4 years, this has been Speed Skating Mania! 👋