Milan: She didn't always show it, not with the way she was often smiling on the ice and joking around with her teammates, but South Korean short track speed skater Kim Gil-li had been carrying the weight of the world on her 21-year-old shoulders in Milan. She had been feeling the burden as the anchor of the women's 3,000-meter relay team at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Then on Wednesday night at Milano Ice Skating Arena, Kim rose to the occasion and executed an exhilarating, bring-you-out-of-your-seat late pass to push South Korea to the gold medal.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim expressed that she felt immense responsibility for her team's outcome. "I had been feeling like I had to be responsible for the result of the entire team," Kim said after a training session Thursday. "And now that the relay is over, I can go back to concentrating on my own race now. I feel a little more comfortable. I feel like I've cleared a major hurdle." Kim's recent history in relays had only added to that pressure. At the 2025 Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China, Kim fell during the final stretch and dropped out of the lead position. South Korea ended in fourth place, leaving Kim inconsolable afterward.
In Milan, Kim got tripped up by Corinne Stoddard of the United States during the semifinals of the mixed team relay, and South Korea failed to reach the medal round. "Ever since the Asian Games, I really wanted to make up for my mistake there," Kim said. "And I was disappointed with the fall in the mixed relay here, but my teammates really picked me up and had my back. They helped me skate with more confidence."
Kim's one last event will be the women's 1,500m on Friday. She had earlier won bronze in the 1,000m in Milan and can become the first South Korean short tracker in 12 years to win three medals in an Olympic debut. "I just got goose bumps thinking about it," Kim said with a smile. "Obviously, I will do the best I can to win an individual gold medal after winning the team gold medal."
If Kim wins the gold, she will deny her teammate, Choi Min-jeong, her third straight title in the 1,500m. Choi is trying to become the first short track speed skater to win three consecutive gold medals in the same event, and Kim said she won't back down. "We've been competing for a long time. I've been learning so much from her, and it's thanks to her that I've been able to develop so much," Kim said. "I am looking forward to some friendly competition in the 1,500m."