Choi Min-jeong (Seongnam City Hall), the face of South Korean women's short track speed skating, missed out on a historic third consecutive Olympic gold but etched her name in history as South Korea’s most decorated Olympian of all time. After securing a silver medal in the women’s 1,500m final—following her gold in the relay—Choi made a surprise announcement that she would not compete in the Olympics four years from now.
On the 21st (local time) at the Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, during the 2026 Milano-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics, Choi crossed the finish line second in the women’s 1,500m final, following her teammate and junior, Kim Gil-li. Despite being the defending champion from the PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022 Games, Choi was narrowly overtaken by Kim during the final spurt after maintaining a solid lead for most of the race.
While she fell short of the triple-gold milestone, Choi achieved a monumental record: her seventh Olympic medal (4 Gold, 3 Silver), the highest number of medals ever won by a South Korean athlete across both Summer and Winter Games.
Speaking in the mixed zone after the race, an emotional Choi said, "I feel relieved because I gave it my all with no regrets. So many emotions are overlapping right now. I’m in tears because I realize this is my final Olympics." While she did not announce an immediate retirement from all competition, she explicitly stated that she would not be returning for the next Winter Games.
"I think this is the end (for the Olympics). To be honest, I dealt with a lot of physical pain and mental struggles while preparing for this season. From the start of this competition to the end, I kept thinking this would be my last. After the race, that feeling became a certainty," she added.
Explaining her tears, Choi remarked, "I believe I’ve done everything I could. I’ve set many records and have no further regrets." She expressed particular joy for Kim Gil-li’s victory, saying, "I’m so happy that a Korean skater—especially Gil-li—took first place."
Reflecting on the growth of Kim, who became a double gold medalist in Milan, Choi said, "I grew up dreaming while watching legends like Chun Lee-kyung and Jin Sun-yu. Seeing Gil-li achieve her dreams while looking up to me is incredibly fulfilling. I just want to be remembered as an athlete who showed that South Korean short track is strong. Now that Gil-li is doing so well, I feel like I can finally rest in peace."
With this silver medal, Choi broke the previous tie for the most Olympic medals held by a Korean athlete. "When I first challenged the Olympics, I never imagined I’d set such a record. I was able to endure and get here thanks to the help of many people over a long time. I am so grateful to those around me and to the fans who have cheered for me."
Closing the interview with a mix of tears and a smile, she noted, "Out of all seven medals, today’s feels the most meaningful. It’s even more precious than the gold from Beijing. I promised myself I wouldn't cry when this moment came, but I failed. Please just think of these as tears of joy."
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