The Mascots of 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics and Paralympics ©Milano-Cortina 2026 Press Kit Mascots



The 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games were held in Milano, Italy, from February 6 to 22 and March 6 to 15, respectively. During the Olympics, there were several notable events. In ice hockey, the US men’s and women’s teams won gold, defeating Canada in dramatic overtime finishes. Ski mountaineering was newly adopted as a formal sport in this competition. Korean snowboarder Choi Gaon won the gold in the half-pipe, which is the first gold medal for Korea in a snow event. In the Paralympics, cross country athlete Kim Yunji gave a phenomenal performance. On the other hand, regarding media coverage in Korea, only JTBC broadcast the games, resulting in significant controversy.

The Collapse of the “Korea Pool” Consortium

In previous years, three companies, KBS, SBS, MBC, received broadcasting rights, forming a consortium called the Korea Pool. However, this year, the situation has changed. JTBC, a paid comprehensive channel, contacted the IOC (International Olympic Committee) directly without going through KoreaPool. JTBC was awarded an exclusive contract valid from 2026 to 2032. JTBC pursued this contract to enhance its brand power and secure broadcasting rights to major sporting events such as the Winter and Summer Olympics and the Paralympics. The three other broadcasting companies tried to negotiate with JTBC to share rights, but JTBC requested a high price, arousing complaints from the three companies. Also, the two sides clashed over broadcast schedules and event distribution. In the end, they failed to reach an agreement, and only JTBC broadcast the games.

Choi Gaon’s Drama: Overcoming Adversity

17-year-old snowboarder Choi Gaon won the gold medal in the half-pipe event, becoming the youngest snowboard champion, besting the previous record holder Chloe Kim by seven months. This is also the first gold medal in Korean snow sports history. The victory did not come easily. The half-pipe is an event in which participants perform aerial tricks on their boards while moving along U-shaped slopes covered with snow. In the final deciding run, snowboarders are allowed up to three attempts, the best of which is recorded. The reason why Choi Gaon’s gold medal shined so brightly was because hers was an uphill battle. In the first attempt, she caught an edge on the rim of the slope, lost her balance, and crashed. She remained on the ground for a while because of the shock. When it came time for her second attempt, the DNS (did not start) sign flickered once. Then, against the advice of the medical team, Choi continued her journey. She took the second attempt but failed to land properly. Her first and second scores were the lowest in the group, but she did not give up. On her last at tempt, she executed perfect 720-and 900-degree spins, recording a score of 90.25, the highest in the competition.



In the short track events, Korean athlete Choi Minjeong won the gold medal at these Games, bringing her total to seven gold medals in Olympic competition. Another short track athlete, Kim Gilli, won two gold medals in the 1500m and the 3000m relay race. Along with their strong ice sports showing, Korean athletes made breakthroughs in snow sports during these Olympics. In addition, 19-year-old cross-country athlete Kim Yunji made history in the Paralympics by securing five medals, the most ever won by a Korean athlete in a single Winter Games with two gold and three silver medals. Hers is also the first-ever gold medal in the Winter Paralympics for a female Korean athlete.

Even though the broadcast in Korea was controversial, the athletes at the 2026 Olympics and Paralympics shone as brightly as ever.

Reporter

Seongbeom Hong

hongsb@seoultech.ac.kr

Reporter 홍성범

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• e-mail : hongsb@seoultech.ac.kr