At the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics, national snowboarder Kim Sang-gyeom, 37, of High1, who delivered Korea's first medal of the Games and the 400th medal across the Summer and Winter Olympics combined, said upon his return, "I don't think age matters," adding, "Of course, the bigger goal is the gold medal."
On the morning of the 10th, Kim Sang-gyeom arrived at Incheon International Airport on a passenger flight from Frankfurt and shared his thoughts with reporters. "I thought I might tear up seeing my family after winning a medal on a big stage, but instead it feels even more welcoming and new," he said. "I didn't expect this many people to come out, so I was flustered and sweating a lot. For now, I want to enjoy this atmosphere a bit."
On the 8th (local time), at the snowboard men's parallel giant slalom final held at Livigno Snowpark in Italy, Kim Sang-gyeom finished 0.19 seconds behind Benjamin Karl of Austria to take silver. He had competed on the Olympic stage since the 2014 Sochi Games but had not connected with a medal, and by defying expectations this time to win silver, he became the first medalist for the Korean delegation.
Kim Sang-gyeom, who said he barely slept amid a flood of congratulations after the race, added, "I boarded the plane without a wink of sleep as messages kept coming in all night, but maybe because of the adrenaline, I'm less tired than I thought." As for his schedule after returning, he said, "I have to fly out again on the 25th, so I think I need to handle the visa issues first."
On the news that Yoo Seung-eun of Seongbok High School won bronze in the same event, Kim said, "She is 18, and that's truly amazing. I'm so proud and really want to tell her congratulations." Asked about plans for the 200 million won reward from the Korea Ski and Snowboard Association, he laughed and said, "I'll have to see it hit the account first," adding, "The gift for my wife is the silver medal," as he placed the medal he had worn around his spouse's neck.
Regarding his strong performance at these Games, Kim said, "It's true I felt less pressure than in Pyeongchang, but I'm happy to have gotten such a good result. Now, with gratitude, I think I can compete more comfortably." He continued, "The opponent I met in the quarterfinals (Roland Fischnaller) was born in 1980 and I heard he has competed in the Olympics six or seven times," adding, "I now think age doesn't matter, and I would like to go to up to two more Olympics, but I'll have to see how things go."
At the arrivals hall, his wife, Park Han-sol; his father, Kim Young-guk; and his father-in-law and other family members greeted him with bouquets arranged in the shape of the taegeuk. His father, Kim Young-guk, said, "It feels like a dream to see my son rise like this," adding, "It's thanks to the support of the people, and I'm truly proud that he has endured steadfastly for more than 10 years." Recalling the restorative food they prepared before his departure, he laughed and said, "Maybe the haesintang helped a little."
His wife, Park Han-sol, said, "I was so nervous that I couldn't watch with the family and watched the event separately," adding, "I want to thank him for letting us keep this precious memory." As for a meal after returning, she said, "We'll probably have a simple family meal of Kimchi-jjigae (Kimchi stew)."