Winter Olympics 2026: Kim Gilli dethrones heroine Choi Minjeong for Republic of Korea 1-2 in women’s short track speed skating 1500m
A dramatic last day of short track speed skating at Milano Cortina 2026 unfolded on Friday (20 February), culminating with a 1-2 for Republic of Korea as Kim Gilli won gold ahead of compatriot and defending Olympic champion Choi Minjeong.
Corinne Stoddard secured bronze for Team USA, while the home crowd cheered Arianna Fontana, who claimed fifth behind the People’s Republic of China’s Yang Jingru.
“I skated with athletes I have been admiring since I was young, and I came all the way here,” said Kim. “It’s the first time I experienced a similar emotion.
“I showed everything I could do, remaining calm. I believed in myself and went for it.”
The finals of the women’s 1500m was the ninth and last event of the short track discipline at Milano Cortina 2026 and it was a dramatic event, subdued early on due to an injury to Poland’s Kamila Sellier in the sixth quarter-final.
Team USA’s Kristen Santos-Griswold was penalised along with Sellier, while Fontana, who was aiming for a 15th Olympic medal at her sixth Olympic Games also required treatment after the incident.
Following a short delay, the event progressed to three semi-finals, with only seven athletes from the 21 racing able to for the medal showdown.
It was in semi-final two, stacked with medal challengers, that more drama ensued as three-time Olympic champions, Xandra Velzeboer and Suzanne Schulting of the Netherlands, both slid out, as did Canada’s four-time Olympic medallist at Milano Cortina 2026, Courtney Sarault.
Yang Jingru of the People’s Republic of China and Lam Ching Yan progressed, with Lam’s seventh-place finish the best result for Hong Kong, China at a Winter Olympics. The previous best result was 18th, also in Italy, at Turin 2006.
The final saw a slow tactical start with Stoddard taking an early lead. With two laps to go Choi made her move, followed shortly afterwards by Kim who performed an undertake on her idol to take her third Olympic medal at Milano Cortina 2026 after gold in the 3000m women’s relay and bronze in the 1000m.
Choi won this event at PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022, with her silver medal a second in Italy after gold alongside Kim in the women’s 3000m relay. It’s also a seventh Olympic medal for the world record holder in this event.
Stoddard claimed a first Olympic medal at her second Games.
