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Team unity carries Korean women's short track team to 3,000-meter relay final

Published: 15 Feb. 2026, 10:16 Updated: 18 Feb. 2026, 14:41

From left, short track skaters Shim Suk-hee, Choi Min-jeong, Kim Gil-li and Lee So-yeon celebrate after crossing the finish line in first place in the women’s 3,000-meter relay semifinal at the Milan Ice Skating Arena during the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan on Feb. 14. [NEWS1]

MILAN — Teamwork and trust carried Korea into the final of the women’s 3,000-meter short track relay at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Saturday.

“We’re all different in physique and age,” team member Shim Suk-hee said. “But regardless of that, we pulled from the front and pushed from behind, trusting one another to finish the semifinal.”

Shim, 29, spoke with a bright smile in the mixed zone after the Korean team topped its semifinal heat at the Milan Ice Skating Arena. As she is not competing in individual events at these Games, the relay marked her first Olympic appearance in Milan — and she delivered a steady performance.

Korea’s lineup featured Choi Min-jeong, 27; Lee So-yeon, 32; and Kim Gil-li, 21, alongside Shim. Choi made decisive moves at key moments, twice diving to the inside to seize the lead, while Shim powered her teammates forward with strong pushes during exchanges.

Short track national team member Shim Suk-hee trains at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 6, the opening day of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. [YONHAP]

The team’s unity is especially notable given past tensions. At the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics, controversy erupted over allegations that Shim had deliberately collided with Choi. The two have since repaired their relationship and embraced a “one team” mentality. Choi even celebrated Shim’s birthday in Milan on Jan. 30.

“I trusted my teammates, and that allowed us to produce a good result,” Choi said. “In the final, we’ll continue to believe in each other and give our best to show what we’ve prepared.”

Choi narrowly missed medals in the mixed relay and women’s 500-meter earlier in the Games, but said her form is steadily improving.

“To be honest, I was very nervous at first and felt heavy on the ice,” she said. “But I’ve gradually built up my performance. My condition is improving step by step, and as I race more, I feel less tension. We’ll show a strong performance in the final.”

Shim echoed that sentiment, adding, “We’ll come together as one through trust and deliver a great race in the final.”

The younger and older members of the team also emphasized their cohesion. “We had great chemistry,” said Kim, the youngest of the squad. “The older members led us so strongly from the front that I was able to finish well.” Lee, the eldest, returned the praise: “The younger skaters worked incredibly hard and gave us something to rely on.”

Korea’s women’s short track skaters pose for a commemorative photo after training at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Milan on Feb. 4, two days before the opening of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. From left are Noh Do-hee, Choi Min-jeong, Kim Gil-li, Lee So-yeon and Shim Suk-hee. [YONHAP]

Korea will face Canada, the Netherlands and Italy in the women’s 3,000-meter relay final on Thursday. Korea has long dominated the event, winning six gold medals and one silver in eight Olympic appearances. The team is seeking its first Olympic gold in the relay since PyeongChang 2018.

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, KO BONG-JUN [[email protected]]