[26.03.08] Kim Yun-ji Wins Historic Gold at Winter Paralympics for South Korea

Kim Yun-ji Wins Gold, First Korean Female Champion in Winter Paralympics

📍Victorious in Women’s Sitting Biathlon Sprint 12.5km…Historic First Individual Gold for Korean Female Athlete

Kim Yun-ji, a rising star in Korean para sports, made history at the 2026 Milan–Cortina Winter Paralympics by becoming the first Korean female athlete to win an individual gold medal at the Winter Paralympics.

🔹 Victory at the 2026 Milan–Cortina Winter Paralympics
Kim won the women’s sitting biathlon sprint 12.5 km race at the Tesero Cross-Country Stadium in Tesero, Italy, finishing with a time of 38:00.1.

The victory marks a historic milestone for South Korea, as it is the first time a Korean female athlete has won an individual gold medal at the Winter Paralympics.

🔹 First Korean Gold in Eight Years
The medal also holds significance for the Korean team.

It is the first Winter Paralympic gold medal for South Korea since Shin Eui-hyun won gold in cross-country skiing at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympics.

It is also the first gold medal won by South Korea at a Winter Paralympics held outside the country.

🔹 Redemption After Previous Day’s Disappointment
Kim had finished fourth in the women’s sitting biathlon sprint 7.5 km race the day before due to shooting errors.

However, she quickly bounced back in the 12.5 km race, delivering a near-perfect performance with stable shooting and strong skiing speed.

🔹 Comeback After Shooting Setback
Kim started the race strongly and remained among the leading competitors early on.

She hit all five targets in the first shooting stage to exit the range in first place. However, she missed two shots in the second stage and temporarily dropped to fifth place.

She regained momentum through powerful skiing and passed the 6.6 km midpoint in fourth place.

Kim then hit all five targets in the third shooting stage to move up to third place and reclaimed the lead after a perfect final shooting stage.

🔹 Defeats World-Class Competitors
Kim maintained her pace in the final stretch and crossed the finish line first.

She finished 12.8 seconds ahead of Germany’s Anja Wicker, while Kendall Gretsch of the United States took third place 36 seconds behind Kim.

Oksana Masters of the United States, a Paralympic legend with 10 gold medals and 20 total medals, finished fourth, trailing Kim by 47.8 seconds.

🔹 About the Biathlon Event
The Paralympic biathlon 12.5 km event combines cross-country skiing and shooting.

Athletes complete four shooting stages during the race, firing five shots each time.

For every missed target, one minute is added to the athlete’s total time as a penalty.

🔹 More Medal Opportunities Ahead
Kim is competing in both biathlon and cross-country skiing at the Games.

Starting with the cross-country event on March 10, she will attempt to win additional medals in four remaining events.

🔹 President Lee Jae-myung Sends Congratulations
President Lee Jae-myung also congratulated Kim through a Facebook message.

He praised her dedication, noting that she trains in swimming during the summer and skiing in the winter, constantly pushing beyond seasonal and physical limits.

He added that he hopes Kim continues her confident and joyful challenges, just like her nickname “Smiley.”

One-line summary : Kim Yun-ji won the first individual Winter Paralympic gold medal ever by a Korean female athlete.