Lee Nahyeon Finishes 9th in Olympic Women's 1000 m...First Korean Skater Ever in Top 10

"It Feels Like I Set a Meaningful Record... Will Go for a Medal in the 500 m"
Veteran Kim Minseon Finishes 18th... 500 m to Be Held on the 16th

Speed skater Lee Nahyeon showed excellent form by becoming the first Korean athlete ever to break into the top 10 in the women's 1000 m at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

On the 10th (Korea Standard Time), at the Milan Speed Skating Stadium in Milan, Italy, Lee Nahyeon finished 9th in the women's 1000 m speed skating at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics with a time of 1:15.76. She made her Olympic debut by breaking the previous best Olympic finish by a Korean skater in the women's 1000 m, 11th place, set by Yoo Sunhee at the 1992 Albertville Games. Veteran teammate Kim Minseon recorded a time of 1:16.24 and finished 18th among the 30 competitors.

Lee Nahyun is racing in the women's 1000m speed skating at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics at the Milan Speed Skating Stadium in Italy on the 10th (Korea time). [Photo by Yonhap News]

The gold medal went to Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands, who set a new Olympic record with a time of 1:12.31. The silver medal was claimed by Femke Kok of the Netherlands with 1:12.59, and the bronze went to Takagi Miho of Japan with 1:13.95.

Lee Nahyeon passed the opening 200 m in 17.90 seconds, 9th overall, and hit the 600 m mark in 45.49 seconds, 10th overall, maintaining a steady pace to become the first Korean skater ever to break into the top 10.

After the race, Lee Nahyeon said, "It was not a perfect race, but I think I set a meaningful record," adding, "If I prepare hard, I think I can aim for a medal in the 500 m."

Kim Minseon said that she skated with more focus on her main event, the 500 m, than on her 1000 m time, and that she was satisfied with her start. She covered the first 200 m in 17.83 seconds, the 5th-fastest time overall, and was 9th at the 600 m split with a time of 45.33.

Kim Minseon and Lee Nahyeon will both challenge for medals in their main event, the 500 m, on the 16th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.