Goyang's Lim Jongeon Wins Silver and Bronze at Milano Olympics... Emerges as New Hero of Korean Short Track

Lim Jongeon (19), the "next-generation ace" of the Goyang Special City ice skating team in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Donghwan), hung a precious silver and bronze medal around his neck at the 2026 Milano Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics, raising the profile of both the Republic of Korea and Goyang City on the global stage.

Im Jongeon, a player for Goyang City Hall. Provided by Goyang City.

On February 21 (Korea Standard Time), Lim played as a starting member of the national team in the men's 5,000m short track relay final and helped secure the silver medal. From the semifinals through the final, he started in every race and served as the team's tactical linchpin. In particular, in the final leg of the gold-medal race, he produced a spectacular highlight moment by unleashing an explosive sprint that held off a tenacious chase by host nation Italy by 0.1 seconds, thereby protecting Korea's silver-medal finish.

Earlier, in the men's 1,000m final held on February 12, he claimed the bronze medal with composed race management amid an extreme free-for-all in which title favorites, including world No. 1 Steven Dubois of Canada, were eliminated one after another. This was the "first medal" won by the Korean men's short track team at this Olympics, and it is being credited with playing a decisive role in instantly lifting the morale of the squad, which had been sluggish in the early stages of the Games.

Born in 2007 and having joined Goyang City Hall this year as a high school graduate rookie, Lim Jongeon lived up to his title as overall No. 1 at the national team selection trials by capturing two medals in his Olympic debut, firmly establishing himself as a world-class athlete at the very top level.

Lee Donghwan, Mayor of Goyang Special City, said, "I am proud of Lim Jongeon, who, on the grand stage of his first Olympics, fully demonstrated the strength of the Republic of Korea and Goyang City," adding, "In particular, the 0.1-second fighting spirit he showed in the relay final and the first medal for the Korean men's team that he earned in the 1,000m gave citizens great emotion and pride."

He went on to state, "We will spare no systematic support so that Lim can continue to grow into a global legend leading Korean short track."