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Short track star Choi Min-jeong moves on from relay disappointment to chase solo medals

Published: 11 Feb. 2026, 13:00 Updated: 11 Feb. 2026, 16:59

Choi Min-jeong, second from right, competes in the women's 500-meter short track speed skating at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Milan on Feb. 10. [AP/YONHAP]

MILAN — Short track speed skater Choi Min-jeong set aside the disappointment of the mixed 2,000-meter relay after a crash knocked Korea out of the event at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics to focus on the individual races ahead.

The incident occurred at the Milan Ice Skating Arena on Tuesday, when Corinne Stoddard of the United States, who was leading the race, fell on the 12th lap. Kim Gil-li collided while trying to avoid her and also went down.

Choi rushed forward to make contact and set off in pursuit, but the gap had already widened irretrievably.

Korea ultimately failed to finish within the top two needed to advance to Final A, with a medal up for grabs, after officials did not penalize the United States despite a Korean protest, leaving the team to finish sixth.

Choi Min-jeong, left, and Kim Gil-li tag after a crash in the semifinals of the team mixed relay short track speed skating race at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Milan on Feb. 10. [AP/YONHAP]

“Relays are like that: If it goes well, everyone does well, and if it goes wrong, everyone struggles,” Choi said. “I will make up for it in the individual events.”

Over in the women's 500-meter race, she has reached the quarterfinals by finishing the heats in second place.

This year's Games are not the first time she has showcased her talent in the individual races. Since making her national team debut in 2014, when she was a 10th grader, she has shone across multiple international competitions.

“I always think I am not good enough, so I try to make up for it, and that seems to lead to good results,” Choi said.

Her strengths are outside-lane passing and explosive acceleration, which she honed with years of training.

At 160 centimeters (5 feet, 3 inches) tall, Choi often found herself at a disadvantage in physical jostling and struggled to secure a position on the inside line. She trained to withstand strong centrifugal force in corners with resistance bands tied to a pole.

The training strengthened her lower body and helped hone techniques that became central to her winning style. That foundation has supported her consistency at the top level of short track skating for more than 10 years.

Choi Min-jeong competes in the women's 500-meter short track speed skating event at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Milan on Feb. 10. [AP/YONHAP]

Choi has won 17 gold medals at world championships alone.

But in 2023, she chose to spend some time away from the sport after experiencing severe anxiety before competitions, taking a year away from the rink to recover physically and mentally as she bicycled over Italy’s Bormio and Stelvio passes.

She returned to the ice last year and went on to win three gold medals at the Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China.

Choi says her favorite fan comment is “Korea has Choi Min-jeong,” a phrase used for only a small group of elite Korean sports stars such as figure skating legend Kim Yuna and Los Angeles FC forward Son Heung-min.

“I want to do even better to live up to that description,” she said. “I hope I can finish these Olympics with a smile."

Choi already has three gold and two silver medals from the 2018 and 2022 Games.

One more gold would tie the record for the most Winter Olympic top prizes won by a Korean athlete. Two more medals of any color would mark her seventh Olympic medal, the most by any Korean athlete across the Summer and Winter Games.

She still has four events remaining: the 500 meters, 1,000 meters, 1,500 meters and the 3,000-meter relay.

The women’s 500-meter and men’s 1,000-meter events will take place on Thursday.

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 RIN, KIM HYO-KYOUNG [[email protected]]