"Everyone can be a winner, but not everyone can be a medalist."
Ryu Seung-min said on his social media on the 25th, speaking about the intrinsic value of sport and the appeal of competition. The Korean delegation returned home on the 24th through Incheon International Airport after the 2026 Winter Olympics held in Italy.
The Korean team finished 13th overall at the Milan games with a total of 10 medals: three gold, four silver and three bronze. Although they did not reach the pregame goal of being in the "top 10," the overall medal count, including three golds, was an improvement over the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics (2 gold, 5 silver, 2 bronze).
Former women's short track leader Choi Min-jeong talked about "Olympic retirement." Instead, a new star, Kim Gil-li, emerged. New medalists leading Korea's women's snowboard events also appeared, including Choi Gaon and Yu Seun-geun.
In men's short track, the team did not win gold at this competition, but they earned silver and bronze with their best efforts. In speed skating, "legend" Lee Seung-hoon finished the games with "no medals" and expressed regret, but the Korean delegation safely completed the global festival and returned home.
Ryu said, "Now the athletes who won medals will work to protect the value of those medals, and even those who did not win medals will strive to grow and win medals."
He added, "Everyone can be a winner, but not everyone can be a medalist," and said, "This is the intrinsic value of sport and the appeal of competition. This is an area where we must be objective with ourselves."
This is a message from Ryu, a "senior" who won the men's singles table tennis gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, to his juniors. Nothing is permanent. He warned against becoming complacent after winning a gold medal and against giving up just because one did not win a medal.
New women's short track ace Kim Gil-li and women's snowboard halfpipe competitor Choi Gaon did not give up at this competition and challenged to the end, moving fans.
In her first event, the mixed relay, Kim Gil-li collided with an American athlete and fell. The injury looked concerning, but she did not give up and tagged Choi Min-jeong, showing the determination to continue the contest. With that will, she won a total of three medals: two gold and one bronze.
Choi Gaon was the athlete who delivered the most dramatic comeback at this competition. Choi Gaon overcame failures in her first and second runs to finally win gold in the women's snowboard halfpipe final at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics held at Livigno Snowpark, Italy, on the 13th (Korea time).
In the qualifying round on the 11th, Choi Gaon advanced to the final in sixth place out of 24 with a score of 82.25. In the first run she fell after a dizzying collision. Her board caught the slope lip, and the fallen Choi Gaon could not get up for a while. Medical staff even entered the course, and there were concerns about a serious injury.
Before the second run, the scoreboard even showed a 'DNS (did not start)' sign, suggesting her condition was poor. It seemed she could no longer challenge. But she took the second run and surprised everyone. She also fell in the second run, and the "injury fear" appeared severe. However, in the third run she focused on variety and stability with 900- and 720-degree rotations instead of attempting the high-difficulty 1,080-degree trick, and she succeeded in finishing cleanly without falling.
She overcame the fear of injury and took the gold. Choi Gaon surpassed Chloe Kim of the United States, who had been Choi's idol and a strong favorite to win. These athletes showed the challenge and competitive spirit Ryu emphasized by doing their best.
Ryu said, "I hope they fully enjoy their upcoming celebrations," and added, "Even athletes who did not win medals should not be discouraged and should once again challenge themselves with the confidence they showed in the field."
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