South Korea Sends Record 11 Snowboarders to Milano Games

For the first time in Olympic history, South Korea is betting big on snow instead of ice.

The nation that built its Winter Olympics legacy on short track speed skating and figure skating is sending 11 snowboarders to the Milano-Cortina Games. That's more athletes than any other single sport on their roster, including short track.

The momentum behind this shift is unmistakable. Of South Korea's 79 Winter Olympic medals, only one has ever come from snow sports: Lee Sang-ho's silver in snowboard parallel giant slalom at the 2018 PyeongChang Games. This year's team aims to change that story completely.

Leading the charge is 18-year-old Choi Ga-on, who won three World Cup halfpipe events this season. She'll compete against American legend Chloe Kim and Japan's top riders on the 7.2-meter halfpipe at Livigno Snow Park, perched 1,816 meters high in the Alps.

Lee Chae-un made history in 2023 as the first South Korean to win a world championship in any snow sport. Now 20, he'll challenge Japan's Hirano Ayumu for halfpipe gold in the men's division.

Eighteen-year-old Yoo Seung-eun adds to the excitement after winning silver at last December's Big Air World Cup. She'll launch off a 40-meter jump in an event nicknamed "circus on snow" for its spectacular aerial tricks.

The Ripple Effect

This generational breakthrough reflects years of quiet investment in winter sports infrastructure and youth development programs. South Korea built world-class training facilities after hosting the PyeongChang Olympics, giving young athletes access to the same resources as traditional powerhouses like Japan and the United States.

The team's success is already inspiring a new wave of kids to try snowboarding instead of automatically gravitating toward speed skating. Youth enrollment in snowboard programs has tripled since Lee Sang-ho's 2018 medal, according to the Korean Ski Association.

Lee himself will return to Milano-Cortina for another shot at glory in parallel giant slalom, where athletes race head-to-head down a 635-meter course. One mistake means instant elimination, making every gate a test of nerves and precision.

The broader impact extends beyond medals. These young athletes are reshaping what Koreans imagine when they think about winter sports excellence, proving that championship performances aren't limited to the ice rink.

When competition begins at Livigno Snow Park, three teenagers will carry their nation's hopes into uncharted territory, armed with world-class skills and nothing to lose.