Short track speed skater Kim Gil-li wins two gold medals, one bronze at debut Olympics
Published: 23 Feb. 2026, 07:00
![Short track speed skater Kim Gil-li poses during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo in front of the Duomo di Milano in Milan on Feb. 21. [KIM JONG-HO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/02/23/b69a2376-bed9-4324-a14a-a19652afa9f0.jpg)
Short track speed skater Kim Gil-li poses during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo in front of the Duomo di Milano in Milan on Feb. 21. [KIM JONG-HO]
MILAN — Short track speed skater Kim Gil-li turned her Olympic debut into a significant milestone in her career by clinching two gold medals and one bronze medal at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
In front of the Duomo di Milano, a cathedral church, on Saturday, the skater reflected on her first Olympic appearance during an exclusive interview with the JoongAng Ilbo.
“They're pretty heavy,” she said, glancing at her medals.
She earned gold for the women's 1,500-meter and 3,000-meter relay races and bronze for the 1,000-meter contest.
Kim’s nickname, “LamborGil-li,” combines her given name and Lamborghini, the Italian sports car brand — and it’s one that she lives up to.
In the women’s 1,500-meter short track final on Friday, fellow Korean skater Choi Min-jeong, with three laps remaining, accelerated on the inside lane while Kim did the same on the outside. Though the two almost simultaneously overtook those ahead of them, Kim then surged ahead to take gold, and Choi captured silver.
Kim has regarded Choi, long considered the leading figure in Korean women's short track speed skating, as her idol for years and even took a picture with her 12 years ago, when Kim was still in elementary school. However, Choi announced her retirement from the national team on Friday.
Kim's success during this year's Olympics came after overcoming earlier setbacks in the Games. She collided head-on with Corinne Stoddard of the United States in the mixed 2,000-meter relay and crashed into the boards on Feb. 10.
![Kim Gil-li, left, celebrates after the short track speed skating women's 1,500 meters final at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Milan on Feb. 20. [AP/YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/02/23/d0c31f39-036d-4fae-843d-5ec39adc0f4b.jpg)
Kim Gil-li, left, celebrates after the short track speed skating women's 1,500 meters final at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Milan on Feb. 20. [AP/YONHAP]
“She touched her ribs at first,” her father said. “If they had been fractured, she would not have been able to compete. Fortunately, she avoided any serious injuries, but her form declined after the fall.”
He added that Kim began to worry about her skate blades after the crash.
Her team at Seongnam City Hall, in response, brought in a different type of blade, and she tested them during training. That change proved to be a success, as she won the bronze medal in the 1,000 meters on Feb. 16.
“Even after the fall, I didn't lose my ability [to skate], so I trusted myself,” Kim Gil-li said.
She maintained her rhythm in the 1,500 meters and celebrated her second gold medal by raising both thumbs, index fingers and pinkies.
![Kim Gil-li celebrates after the short track speed skating women's 1,500 meters final at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Milan on Feb. 20. [REUTERS/YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/02/23/30811d2b-d821-4630-ad8b-bc1234cbee68.jpg)
Kim Gil-li celebrates after the short track speed skating women's 1,500 meters final at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Milan on Feb. 20. [REUTERS/YONHAP]
“I followed my intuition this time,” she said after Friday's race. “When I make that hand gesture, it means I’m happy with how I skated.”
The gesture resembles one used by Kim Do-yeong of the Kia Tigers. Kim Gil-li, a fan of the KBO club, often watches the Tigers' games after training.
She once threw the ceremonial first pitch for the team and said she hopes to attend a game after returning to Korea.
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]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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