Teen short track skater targets Olympic gold

“I was nervous and didn’t sleep as well as usual,” Im Jong-eon, 19, said on Jan. 30 as he departed for Italy with the 45-member South Korean delegation for the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics. The Games will mark his Olympic debut. The youngest member of South Korea’s men’s short track speed skating team emerged as a breakout talent last April, while still in high school, when he finished first at the national team trials, surpassing several senior skaters.

Although he has no Olympic experience, Im is already considered world-class. During the 2025-26 ISU World Tour, he won five gold medals, two silver medals and one bronze across individual and team events. He will target gold in his main races, the 1,500 meters and 1,000 meters, at the Olympics.

Im said he believes international rivals have studied his racing style. He spent the past two months training to show a new approach and plans to debut a different style of skating at the Games.

Im is set to make his Olympic debut on Feb. 10, competing in the 1,000-meter heats and quarterfinals, as well as the mixed relay, which runs from the preliminary rounds through the final. He said he feels pressure not to make mistakes in the mixed relay, the first short track event to award medals, but added that he expects solid results if he stays focused and performs at his best.

Choi Min-jeong, 28, known as the queen of short track and serving as the women’s team captain, said competing in her third Olympics feels familiar. She said she hopes to enjoy the event while delivering strong performances. Choi, who has won three Olympic gold medals and two silver medals, will attempt to capture her third straight gold in the women’s 1,500 meters. She added that she will fully carry out her role to help South Korean athletes achieve top results.

After arriving in Italy, the delegation will split between the athletes’ villages in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo to adjust to the time difference and prepare physically. South Korea is aiming to win three gold medals and finish in the top 10 in the overall medal standings.


조영우 jero@donga.com