South Korea’s Kim Sang-gyeom, 37, from Haiwon, secured the nation’s first Olympic medal in snowboarding during the men’s big air qualifying at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. On February 8 at Livigno Snow Park in Italy, he edged out Austria’s Benny Karl with a 0.19-second advantage to claim the silver medal spot.
Historic Milestone for Korean Winter Sports
This achievement marks South Korea’s inaugural snowboarding medal and its 400th Olympic medal overall. Kim delivered a strong performance in the first two jumps, clocking 1 minute 27 seconds and 18 hundredths, advancing from 16 to the top 8.
In the 8-run knockout, Kim outperformed Italy’s Roland Fischnaller for third place with a triple cork and defeated Bulgaria’s Terbel Jambirov in the final jump to secure his medal.
A Journey of Perseverance
Originally from a rural area, Kim entered university later than peers after two years in preparatory school. He supported himself through farm work and tutoring while pursuing education.
After his first job in 2011, he took up snowboarding amid fears of unemployment without stable employment. He switched majors twice during undergraduate studies and worked at a barbershop, earning scholarship recommendations from professors through diligent efforts.
Entering his current department in 2019, Kim received government financial aid sufficient for boarding house living. Once able to down four bottles of soju, he reduced drinking post-employment to focus on training, becoming a stronger competitor.
“My highest confidence came from working at a convenience store, where I practiced up to 10 hours daily,” Kim shared.
Past Olympic Challenges
As South Korea’s top big air representative, Kim previously competed without medals. In 2014 Sochi, he showed promise but fell short; 2018 Pyeongchang saw him finish 15th after failing in eight attempts; and 2022 Beijing resulted in 16th place out of 24.
The big air event features 32 athletes taking two runs on blue and red courses, with the top 16 advancing via combined scores and tiebreakers.
