South Korea surges to women’s relay gold in Milan

Shim Suk-hee, 29, set the tone, and Choi Min-jeong, 28, sustained the charge. Putting past grievances behind them and skating as a united team, South Korea’s women’s short track squad claimed gold in the 3,000-meter relay at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, reclaiming the Olympic title for the first time in eight years.

Shim, Choi, Kim Gil-li, 22, and Roh Do-hee, 31, crossed the finish line in 4 minutes, 4.014 seconds in Wednesday’s final at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Italy. They narrowly defeated host nation Italy, which finished in 4:04.107. The victory marked South Korea’s first Olympic gold in the women’s relay since the 2018 PyeongChang Games.

South Korea carried out its race strategy with clinical precision. Shim controlled the early pace, Choi sustained the drive through the middle laps, and anchor Kim delivered a powerful closing burst, sealing the victory with a poised and decisive finish.

In a tense opening stretch, the experience of Choi and Shim proved pivotal. With 16 laps remaining and skating in third place, Choi composed herself and eased off to avoid a collision after Michelle Velzeboer of the Netherlands fell directly in her path. Italy seized the opportunity to climb into second and briefly widened the gap on the leaders.

South Korea gradually reeled the field back in before making its decisive move on the straightaway with five laps to go. Skating third, Shim delivered a forceful push to the waiting Choi. Fueled by that surge, Choi accelerated sharply and powered past Canada to move into second. On the anchor leg, Kim attacked the inside line against Italy’s Arianna Fontana with two laps remaining, taking the lead in a daring maneuver. She maintained her edge through the closing laps to complete a stirring comeback victory.

Until recently, such a moment would have seemed unlikely. Shim and Choi, long seen as the twin pillars of South Korea’s women’s short track program, had been estranged since controversy flared at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics over an alleged intentional collision. They made contact during the 1,000-meter final, a clash that cost both skaters a place on the podium. Subsequent allegations claimed Shim had disparaged teammates during the Games and deliberately made contact with Choi. Shim later received a two-month suspension and was unable to compete at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Even after Shim returned to the national team, an invisible barrier lingered between them. They avoided eye contact on the ice and minimized physical exchanges during relay races. Without fully harnessing Shim’s powerful push, the women’s squad failed to capture a relay gold over the past two seasons on the International Skating Union World Cup circuit.

Momentum began to shift ahead of this season. Choi publicly welcomed Shim’s return, vowing to give her utmost as a member of the national team. Beginning with the opening World Tour event in October, their push-and-pull coordination steadily resurfaced. With Shim skating the fourth leg and driving Choi forward off the first exchange, the pair rebuilt a formula that restored their competitive edge. Before the Olympics, Choi also attended Shim’s birthday celebration at the athletes village in Milan, where the two posed together for commemorative photos.

After a turbulent journey, Shim captured her first Olympic gold in eight years and collapsed in tears, burying her face in her hands. The medal marked her third career Olympic relay gold, adding to her titles at the 2014 Sochi and 2018 PyeongChang Games. “From the preparation phase to today’s final, there were many difficult moments,” Shim said. “We endured them together, and I feel overwhelmed. I was able to achieve this result thanks to my wonderful teammates.”

Choi, who narrowly missed the podium in the women’s 500 meters, 1,000 meters and mixed 2,000-meter relay earlier in the Games, secured her sixth career Olympic medal, including four golds and two silvers, and her first gold of these Olympics. With the victory, she matched the record for the most Olympic medals won by a South Korean athlete across the Summer and Winter Games. “I wanted to prove that South Korea is strong,” Choi said. “Even in difficult circumstances, I was able to carry on the legacy of my predecessors because I had great teammates.”


Bo-Mi Im bom@donga.com