Korean Teen Defies Odds to Claim Historic Olympic Snowboarding Bronze
Eighteen-year-old Yu Seung-eun made history as the first Korean woman to win an Olympic medal in a snow sport. She secured a surprise bronze in women's big air snowboarding at the 2026 Milano Cortina Games on February 9. Her achievement came despite competing with serious injuries and limited financial support.
Yu's journey to the podium was far from easy. She had considered quitting snowboarding multiple times due to frequent injuries. Each setback weighed on her, but thoughts of her parents kept her going. At the Olympics, she performed with a pin holding together broken bones in her wrist and ankle.
Her training conditions were equally challenging. With only one sponsor, Lotte, covering part of her costs, Yu faced an annual budget of over 100 million won ($69,300) for global competition. Even her Olympic board was a recreational model, bought by her mother at half price. Despite these hurdles, she finished third in Livigno, behind Japan's Kokomo Murase and New Zealand's Zoi Sadowski-Synnott.
Yu also competed in the slopestyle finals on February 18, placing 12th. After the Games, she plans to rest and decide her next steps. For now, she looks forward to enjoying her favourite Korean dishes—gamjatang and gukbap—while reflecting on her groundbreaking achievement.
Yu's bronze medal marks a milestone for Korean winter sports. The teenager's determination carried her through injuries and financial strain to the Olympic podium. While her future sponsorships remain uncertain, her performance has already placed her in the spotlight.
