Teen Snowboarder Stuns! S. Korea's Golden Moment: What Happens Next?!

Milan, Italy – It’s been a whirlwind of excitement for South Korean snowboarding fans here at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Just a day after Kim Sang-kyum's surprising silver in the men's parallel giant slalom, 18-year-old Yu Seung-eun carved her name into the history books by snagging a bronze in the women's big air event. It’s quite the showing for a country not traditionally known for its dominance on the slopes.

Teen Snowboarder Stuns! S. Korea's Golden Moment: ...

Yu's medal is significant on multiple levels. Not only is it South Korea's second medal in snowboarding at these Games, but it also marks the first time a South Korean woman has ever reached the Olympic podium in the sport. Her final score of 171.00, a compilation of her two best runs at the Livigno Snow Park, was enough to secure her place amongst the top three. You could see the emotion in her face as she realized what she had accomplished – a moment I'm sure she'll cherish forever.

Prior to this year, South Korea only had one snowboarding medal to its name – Lee Sang-ho's silver in the men's parallel giant slalom at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. To now have two medals in snowboarding in a single Games? That's quite the leap, and it speaks volumes about the dedication and talent emerging from the country. It certainly makes one wonder if there are new programs emerging or simply a new generation of incredibly talented athletes.

While the slopes provided a reason to celebrate, the ice rink saw mixed results. Lee Na-hyun put up a solid performance in the women's 1,000 meters at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium, finishing ninth with a time of 1:15.76. This marks the first time a South Korean has cracked the top 10 in this event – another positive sign for the future. However, teammate Kim Min-sun finished further back in 18th place. It's worth noting that the competition in speed skating is incredibly fierce, so any top-10 finish is something to be proud of.

Unfortunately, the mixed doubles curling team of Kim Seon-yeong and Jeong Yeong-seok had a less than ideal ending to their tournament. After leading Norway 5-2, they unfortunately faltered, ultimately losing 8-5. It's a tough loss, especially after a strong start. They finished the tournament with a 3-6 record, placing ninth overall. And in figure skating, Hannah Lim and Quan Ye finished second to last with a career-low score of 64.69, failing to qualify for the free dance. It just goes to show you can't win them all.