See you again in the French Alps in 2030' Milan Olympics to lower the heat curtain for 17 days '3rd place in Korea, 3rd place in Korea, 4th place in Korea, and 3rd place overall'

*This content was translated by AI.

The 2026 Milan-Cortina D'Ampezzo Winter Olympics, which marked a new milestone in the first-ever winter sport, ended its grand finale after 17 days of heated competition. The torch, which burned at the same time for the first time in Olympic history, was also extinguished in the promise of the French Alps, where the Winter Olympics will be held four years later.

The 25th Milan-Cortina D'Ampezzo Winter Olympics said goodbye to more than 2,900 athletes from 92 countries after the closing ceremony held at the Verona Arena in Italy on the morning of the 23rd (Korea time).

Verona is a city about 150 kilometers east of Milan. Verona Arena was built in AD 30. It is a circular dumping ground where gladiators faced off against predators in ancient Rome. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.

The competition, held in Italy for the first time in 20 years since the 2006 Turin Games, was evaluated as presenting the future of the Olympics with the topic of 'sustainability' and 'efficiency'.

Verona Arena, where the closing ceremony was held, is a circular dumping ground in ancient Rome built in AD 30, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a sacred place for world-class opera festivals. The closing ceremony, which was attended by about 12,000 people, including 1,500 athletes from around the world, focused on capturing Italy's deep cultural pride rather than glamour. Russian and Belarusian players, who were absent from the opening ceremony, also attended the closing ceremony.

Starting with Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi's masterpiece "La Traviata," the event added artistic richness by filling the stage with opera characters such as Rigoletto, Aida, and Figaro's Marriage and Madame Butterfly. The stadium was filled with joy when the torch, which had been carried by the gold medalists in cross-country at the 1994 Lillehammer Games, was transferred to the Olympic-shaped structure.

The flag bearers and athletes of each country then entered in harmony regardless of nationality.

The Korean team enjoyed the last of the competition, with Choi Min-jeong (Seongnam City Hall) and Hwang Dae-heon (Gangwon Provincial Office) co-hosting the short track. South Korea won three gold medals, four silver medals, and three bronze medals to rank 13th in the overall standings. Although he failed to enter the "top 10," he performed slightly better in the number of gold medals, medal totals, and rankings than in the Beijing Games four years ago (Gold 2, Silver 2, Silver 2, 14th).

The MVP of Korea was Kim Ki-li (Seongnam City Hall) of short track speed skating. Kim won the women's 1,500-meter and 3,000-meter relay races, becoming the only two-time champion among the Korean athletes. In snowboarding, high school star Choi Ga-on (Sehwa Girls' High School) won the Korean team's first gold medal with a dramatic come-from-behind victory in the halfpipe, writing a miracle of "barren land."

In addition, the harmonious performances of teenagers and veterans, including snowboard's Kim Sang-gyeom (High1), Yoo Seung-eun (Sungbok High School), and short track's Im Jong-eon (Goyang City Hall), were highlighted. However, the speed skating, which only won a "no medal" for the first time in 24 years since Salt Lake City in 2002, left a heavy homework.

After the entry and welcome performance of the team, the men's and women's cross-country 50km mass start awards ceremony was held. Johannes Clebo (Norway) and Eva Andersson (Sweden), who won six gold medals in this competition, won gold medals side by side.

South Korea made a great achievement off the field as well. Bobsleigh legend Won Yoon-jong proudly took the podium, ranking first among 11 candidates in the IOC's new athletes' committee election, which was held during this competition. Won Yun-jong will exert his influence on the international sports stage as an eight-year IOC member. In addition, Kim Jae-yeol, chairman of the International Skating Union (ISU), showed off the power of Korean sports diplomacy as he was elected as an executive member of the IOC.

This competition chose the unprecedented "wide distributed hosting" model. Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo were about 400 kilometers away. He also ran six athletes' villages. The Olympics were aimed at preventing environmental destruction by minimizing new construction. However, some pointed out that the concentrated festival atmosphere unique to the Olympics has halved.

Operational loopholes have also been revealed. Delays in the completion of some stadiums, the spread of norovirus, and heavy snow in mountainous areas led to the postponement of the economy. The controversy over the "rogue medal" with the ribbon falling remained a taint in the jade. In addition, political conflicts such as the war in Ukraine were expressed both inside and outside the stadium, putting the Olympic spirit to the test.

However, IOC President Kirsty Coventry thanked the world for coming together through sports, saying, "The athletes have created a magical moment by showing friendship and respect even in competition."

At the end of the event, Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala and Cortina d'Ampezzo Mayor Gianluca Lorenz returned the Olympic flag. The Olympic flag was passed through Coventry to Christian Estronis, the mayor of the French Alps, the next venue.

In Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, the two torch lights that lit the Italian night for 17 days were extinguished at the same time. Verona Arena was then decorated with a spectacular light show. The 2030 Alps Winter Olympics is the first Winter Olympics to be held in France in 38 years since the 1992 Albertville Games. In addition, France will host the fourth Winter Olympics after Chamonix in 1924, Grenoble in 1968, and Albertville in 1992.

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*This content was translated by AI.