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Korea's Gen Z athletes: An irrepressible personal drive for greatness

Published: 08 Feb. 2026, 15:20 Updated: 08 Feb. 2026, 18:55

Korean athletes competing at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. From left: Snowboarders Choi Ga-on and Lee Chae-un and short track speed skaters Rim Jong-un and Kim Gil-li [KOREAN SPORT & OLYMPIC COMMITTEE; JOONGANG ILBO]

MILAN — Korea’s low birthrate has narrowed the pipeline of winter sports athletes, yet a rising generation of Gen Z competitors continues to keep the country among the world’s elite.

Most of Korea’s strongest gold medal contenders for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics were born in the 2000s. They include snowboarders Choi Ga-on, born in 2008, and Lee Cha-eun, born in 2006 as well as short track speed skaters Rim Jong-un, born in 2007 and Kim Gil-li, born in 2004.

Under immense pressure and setbacks, the Gen Z athletes thrive.

Choi, now a high school student, fractured her spine while practicing a 1080-degree rotation two years ago. Doctors inserted pins and performed three surgeries. She stayed out of competition for a year, then returned in December 2025 and went on to win three women's halfpipe World Cup titles in a row.

Choi Ga-on in action during the Snowboard Halfpipe competition at the FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland on March 29, 2025. [AP/YONHAP]

The halfpipe features a U-shaped slope where riders launch into five high-difficulty aerial jumps. Choi often enters the slope first and leaves last, a routine that reflects her training style.

Lee, who competes in the men’s halfpipe, underwent knee surgery in March last year.

He also struggles with a fear of heights and avoids roller coasters. Neverthless, he became the first snowboarder in the world to land a frontside triple cork 1620 in November last year, which involves three inverted spins and four and a half rotations. He is expected to unveil his signature move in the final of the men's halfpipe event.

Over in short track speed skating, Rim suffered multple serious injuries during his school years. He could not walk without assistance for six months.

Rim Jong-un of Korea, front, skates to a first place finish in the 1500-meter final at the ISU Short Track World Tour Speedskating event in Montreal, Canada on Oct. 11, 2025. [AP/YONHAP]

He nevertheless trained daily, running more than 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) regardless of weather, and later collected five gold medals on the ISU Short Track World Tour.

Kim, who will skate alongside Rim in the mixed relay, brings an assertive style and confident presence to the ice. Younger athletes in winter sports increasingly treat pressure as something to enjoy rather than avoid.

“Their basic mindset is ‘I compete for myself,’” said Kim Jong-hyo, a professor at Seoul National University's Department of Health Science and Technology. “They did not give up after repeated setbacks because they have an irrepressible personal drive. If they had been constrained by nationalism or collectivism, they might not have shown this level of toughness.

"They feel comfortable presenting themselves on social media and treat their performances as content people want to watch, like a TV competition show. That marks the appeal of Gen Z and a new paradigm for Korean sports."

The athletes also speak openly about celebrities they hope to meet after the Olympics.

Choi said she wants to meet singer G-Dragon and boy band Cortis. Rim named Jisoo of Blackpink. Kim chose actor Woo Do-hwan, while Lee said he hopes to meet Los Angeles FC forward Son Heung-min.

The 2026 Olympics kicked off on Friday and will last through Feb. 22.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK LIN [[email protected]]