Korean Snowboarders Make History: Kim Sang-kyum and Yoo Seung-eun Win Medals and Huge Cash Rewards!
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South Korean snowboarders Kim Sang-gyeom (High1) and Yoo Seung-eun (Seongbok High School) are set to receive substantial cash bonuses for their medal-winning performances at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.
The Korea Ski and Snowboard Association announced on February 10 that Kim Sang-gyeom will be awarded 200 million KRW (approximately 150,000 USD) for his silver medal in the men’s parallel giant slalom. Yoo Seung-eun will receive 100 million KRW (about 75,000 USD) for her bronze medal in the women’s big air event. The award ceremony is planned for next month.
Kim Sang-gyeom clinched silver in the men’s parallel giant slalom finals at Italy’s Livigno Snowpark on February 8, securing Team South Korea’s first medal of these Olympics. Yoo Seung-eun followed up with a bronze in the women’s big air on February 10, making snowboarding the source of both the first and second medals for the South Korean team.
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In a nail-biting final, Kim Sang-gyeom finished just 0.19 seconds behind Austria’s Benjamin Karl. This silver not only marked Team South Korea’s first medal of the games but also represented the country’s 400th Olympic medal across both summer and winter games.
The final race was a thriller from start to finish. Kim, who chose the blue course, got off to a strong start, leading by 0.17 seconds at the first intermediate timing point. Despite a slight wobble mid-course that allowed Karl to briefly take the lead, Kim quickly regained his composure and speed to retake the front position. The battle continued right up to the finish line, where Karl’s experience proved crucial in the final acceleration, edging out Kim by a mere 0.19 seconds.
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On February 10, Yoo Seung-eun competed in the women’s big air finals at the same venue, scoring a total of 171.00 points to secure the bronze. Japan’s Kokomo Murase claimed gold with a flawless frontside triple cork 1440 with an Indy grab in her final run, scoring 179.00 points. New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski-Synnott took silver with 172.25 points.
Yoo set the tone early in the finals with a clean backside triple cork 1440 in her first run, scoring 87.75 points. She followed up with a frontside triple cork 1440 in her second attempt, earning 83.25 points. These two stellar performances put her in medal contention. After landing her runs, Yoo’s celebrations were as impressive as her tricks, tossing her board onto the snow and slamming it down in jubilation, leaving a lasting impression on spectators and judges alike.
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This double medal haul marks a significant milestone in South Korean winter sports history. Prior to this, the country’s only Olympic snowboarding medal was Lee Sang-ho’s silver in the men’s parallel giant slalom at the 2018 PyeongChang Games. Now, with two medalists in a single Olympics, South Korea has achieved its first “multi-medal” performance in snowboarding. Notably, Yoo Seung-eun’s bronze is the first-ever Olympic medal for a South Korean woman in skiing or snowboarding.
The Korea Ski and Snowboard Association had established a bonus structure before the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics: 300 million KRW (225,000 USD) for gold, 200 million KRW (150,000 USD) for silver, and 100 million KRW (75,000 USD) for bronze. While there were no medalists in Beijing, the association maintained these incentives for the Milan-Cortina Games. They also offer bonuses of 50 million KRW (37,500 USD) for fourth place, 30 million KRW (22,500 USD) for fifth, and 10 million KRW (7,500 USD) for sixth.
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