Korea's short track coach approached mixed relay official with cash after crashing out. It wasn't a bribe.
Published: 11 Feb. 2026, 13:58
![Korean national team coach Kim Min-jung, center in the back, speaks with officials after skater Kim Gil-li collided with a rival skater and fell during the mixed relay semifinal in short track speed skating at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics at the Milano Ice Skating Arena on Feb. 10. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/02/11/9bf6efe7-9851-49ae-82f7-207ff12af684.jpg)
Korean national team coach Kim Min-jung, center in the back, speaks with officials after skater Kim Gil-li collided with a rival skater and fell during the mixed relay semifinal in short track speed skating at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics at the Milano Ice Skating Arena on Feb. 10. [YONHAP]
MILAN — With a sheet of paper in one hand and a banknote in the other, short track coach Kim Min-jung strode toward the referee moments after the final buzzer sounded at the Milan Ice Skating Arena on Tuesday.
Korea’s short track mixed relay semifinal had just ended after a collision between Kim Gil-li and a U.S. racer sent Kim to the ice and put too much distance between the team and the leading skaters. The coach had just 30 minutes — and 100 Swiss francs ($130) — to try to change the outcome.
Olympic rules require teams to follow a strict process to challenge decisions on the ice: A coach must submit a handwritten protest in English and pay a fee set by the sport’s international federation within a limited time at the venue.
Under International Skating Union regulations, teams must provide 100 Swiss francs in cash along with the written complaint. The money is refunded if the challenge is successful, otherwise it is forfeited. Teams must lodge protests within 30 minutes of the race’s conclusion, or within 24 hours in cases involving scoring errors.
![Korean short track speed skater Kim Gil-li collides with U.S. skater Corinne Stoddard during the mixed 2,000-meter relay semifinal at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics at the Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 10. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/02/11/002b903f-d20e-4558-8a35-e2111750b82c.jpg)
Korean short track speed skater Kim Gil-li collides with U.S. skater Corinne Stoddard during the mixed 2,000-meter relay semifinal at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics at the Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 10. [NEWS1]
Kwak Yoon-gy, a JTBC commentator and former Olympic short track speed skater, explained that teams prepare in advance for such situations.
“The national team always keeps cash on hand just in case," he said. "We followed the challenge protocol properly. But she was in third place when she fell, so the call was fair. It was simply bad luck."
In short track mixed relay semifinals, where only the top two teams advance, Kim Gil-li’s position in third at the time of the collision meant Korea was not in a qualifying spot.
She was sent to the ice after U.S. skater Corinne Stoddard clipped the ice and fell. Canadian Courtney Sarault, in second, managed to evade contact, but Korea's Kim was not so lucky and tumbled over Stoddard as she slid into the boards.
Responding to Korea's challenge, officials ultimately did not assess a penalty on the play or advance Korea to the final, ending the team’s medal bid in the event.
Following the match, coach Kim said the team could not pursue the matter further.
“There’s nothing more we can do. The race is already over. We have no choice but to focus on the remaining events. It’s disappointing, but if we keep challenging, we risk a warning,” she said.
![Korean short track speed skater Kim Gil-li, center, reacts after being eliminated in the mixed 2,000-meter relay semifinal at the Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 10. [KIM JONG-HO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/02/11/bb4a74ff-2f81-45a6-98f0-714878a1adae.jpg)
Korean short track speed skater Kim Gil-li, center, reacts after being eliminated in the mixed 2,000-meter relay semifinal at the Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 10. [KIM JONG-HO]
Korea encountered a similar episode at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. In the men’s 1,000-meter semifinal, Lee June-seo and Hwang Dae-heon received disqualifications that were criticized back home. The Korea Skating Union filed a formal challenge and paid $100, but officials rejected it. The federation later considered taking the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport before dropping the plan.
Fees vary by sport. Bobsleigh and skeleton require 200 euros ($238) to submit a protest. Boxing sets the fee at $500, while swimming charges 500 Swiss francs. Boxing authorities do not return the fee even when ruling in favor of a challenge. In fencing, which uses French as its official language, teams must draft protest documents in French.
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 KIM HYO-KYOUNG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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