as the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics approach, South Korea looks too continue a tradition of unexpected success – the so-called “February miracle” – with strong medal hopes resting on 17-year-old snowboarder Choi Ga-on and the nation’s women’s curling team. Building on a history of breakthrough performances dating back to the 1992 Albertville Games, South Korea now aims to add to it’s gold medal count in both emerging and established winter sports. Both teams enter the Games with important momentum and ranking,poised to deliver memorable performances on the world stage.
Winter Olympics’ February Miracle…Can Women’s Curling Continue the Legacy?
South Korea’s women’s curling team. Yonhap News
South Korea has consistently delivered “February miracles” at the Winter Olympics, and as the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Games approach, all eyes are on snowboarder Choi Ga-on and the nation’s women’s curling team to continue that tradition.
The first breakthrough came at the 1992 Albertville Games, where short track speed skater Kim Ki-hoon dominated, winning gold in the men’s 1,000m and the relay. It was a historic moment, marking South Korea’s first-ever gold medal in the Winter Olympics, especially considering the limited resources available to the country’s winter sports programs at the time.
Eighteen years later, at the 2010 Vancouver Games, Mo Tae-bum stunned the world with a gold medal in the men’s 500m, the first Olympic gold in the 74-year history of South Korean speed skating. Sang-hwa Lee and Seung-hoon Lee soon followed, completing the “Speed Skating Trio” and shattering the long-held perception that the Winter Olympics were solely about short track.
Yuna Kim also captivated the world in Vancouver, defeating Japan’s Mao Asada to win gold and be crowned “Queen of Figure Skating.” The victories expanded South Korea’s medal haul beyond short track, with speed skating and figure skating joining the ranks of Olympic gold-winning sports.
The 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, hosted in South Korea, added another unforgettable chapter to the nation’s winter sports story.
Skeleton racer Yun Sung-bin claimed gold, securing the first-ever Olympic victory in a sliding sport, while the men’s four-man bobsleigh team added a silver medal.
“Cabbage Boy” Sang-ho Lee, who famously learned to snowboard in a cabbage field, won silver in the men’s parallel giant slalom, becoming the first South Korean to medal in a snowboarding event.
Now, with the opening ceremony of the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics just days away, the focus shifts to 17-year-old snowboarder Choi Ga-on and the women’s curling team, both poised to make history.
Snowboard halfpipe competitor Ga-on Choi. Yonhap News
Choi Ga-on, a high school student, is a strong medal contender, according to a recent assessment by the Forbes business magazine. Heading into her first Olympic appearance, she dominated the 2025-2026 FIS Snowboard World Cup season, winning three events and currently holding the No. 1 ranking in the women’s halfpipe.
The young snowboarder has been in peak form this season, winning every World Cup event she’s entered, and is widely considered a favorite to win South Korea’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in skiing or snowboarding.
Forbes highlighted her record-breaking victory at the 2023 X Games (age 14 years, 2 months) and her recent World Cup success, predicting she will be “the strongest competitor to three-time Olympic champion Chloe Kim (USA) as she aims for a historic three-peat.”
The women’s curling team (Gyeonggi Province Curling Team), who sparked the “Youngmi Syndrome” and won a silver medal at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, are now aiming for a historic first gold. The team, comprised of skip Eun-ji Kim, third Min-ji Kim, second Su-ji Kim, lead Ye-eun Seol, and fifth Ye-eun Seol, earned their third consecutive national team berth in June 2025 and are currently ranked No. 3 in the world, showcasing strong teamwork and a clear focus on victory.
South Korea’s first Winter Olympic appearance came at the 1948 St. Moritz Games. It took 44 years to win the first gold medal in short track, and since then, the country has expanded its medal count to include speed skating, figure skating, and skeleton. Now, snowboard and women’s curling look to write the next chapter in South Korea’s “February miracle” story with a first-ever Olympic gold.
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