Kim Gil-li leads South Korea in relay event

Short-track speed skater Kim Gil-li, 22, is known for her bright smile. Whether at the ice rink, where training starts at 6 a.m., or in the cafeteria during breaks, she is almost always smiling. During a recent visit to the national training center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, Kim said people often comment on her smiling face. She added that she tries to enjoy herself even during grueling practice sessions and tends to bounce back quickly from setbacks.

But not every competition has ended in smiles. At last year’s Asian Winter Games in Harbin, Kim experienced a moment of heartbreak. She won gold in the mixed 2,000-meter relay, marking her first Asian Games medal, and added another gold in the women’s 1,500 meters, standing atop the podium twice.

Her tears, however, came after the final race, the women’s 3,000-meter relay. Skating the anchor leg with a lead on the field, Kim collided with a Chinese skater with just half a lap remaining and fell before the finish line. South Korea ultimately finished fourth.

Kim is determined to leave that disappointment behind at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, which open Feb. 6 local time. “I felt truly sorry to my older teammates at the Asian Games,” she said. “I really want to make up for that mistake. To shake off the anxiety about errors, I am focusing entirely on training.” Known for her explosive acceleration and nicknamed “Lambor-gil-li,” a blend of Lamborghini and her name, Kim is widely expected to skate the anchor leg again in the women’s 3,000-meter relay, a race likely to decide South Korea’s medal color.

South Korea’s women’s short-track team holds the Olympic record in the 3,000-meter relay with six gold medals. At the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, however, the team finished second, falling short of a third consecutive title. Kim said she drew inspiration from South Korea’s women’s archery team, which claimed a 10th straight Olympic team gold at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. “I thought about how much effort it must have taken for them to reach that level,” she said. “We also have a very strong desire to reclaim the top spot in the relay.”

Kim emerged as a world-class skater during the 2023-2024 season, when Choi Min-jung, 28, the “queen of short track” who led South Korea at the previous two Winter Olympics, stepped away from international competition. Kim finished first overall on the International Skating Union World Tour standings and claimed the Crystal Globe.

Her rise was not straightforward. Kim placed eighth at the national trials for the 2021-2022 season, narrowly making the national team but missing the Beijing Olympics due to her ranking. At the trials for the Milan-Cortina Games, she finished first by a clear margin. Choi, who returned to the national team for the 2024-2025 season, automatically secured her Olympic berth as the reigning world champion.

Choi, a veteran preparing for her third Olympics, and Kim, a rising star, form a powerful duo leading South Korea’s women’s relay team. Both skate for Seongnam City Hall, but in individual events such as the 1,500 meters, they are also fierce rivals for gold. “When we make the final together, we tell each other, ‘Let’s meet at the front,’” Kim said.

As she prepares for her Olympic debut, Kim said Milan feels like a city made for her. She trained there in 2023 and returned last year for the ISU World Tour Final. “Milan feels like a perfect match for me,” she said with a smile. “The area around the arena is beautiful, and there are so many great places to eat. After a successful Olympics, I would love to enjoy some shopping.” Fittingly, Lamborghini, which inspired part of her nickname, is also an Italian brand.


Bo-Mi Im bom@donga.com