Korea's Best Performance Ever! 'Writing the Miracle of Milano' Winter Paralympics Squad Gold Return, 'Gold 2 + Silver 3' Honored Kim Yun-ji as MVP

*This content was translated by AI.

The South Korean team, which built the "best performance ever" in the history of the Winter Paralympics, returned home. In particular, Kim Yun-ji, who achieved the grand feat of winning the most medals in a single event in Korean sports history, was selected as the best player (MVP) for the Korean team.

South Korea's national team, which competed at the 2026 Milan-Cortina D'Ampezzo Winter Paralympics, arrived at Incheon International Airport on the afternoon of the 17th. More than 100 people attended the ceremony, including Choi Hwi-young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Chung Jin-wan, chairman of the Korea Sports Association for the Disabled, Yang Oh-yeol, head of the athletes' family and fans.

At the Paralympics, the South Korean team ranked 13th overall, winning two gold medals, four silver medals, and one bronze medal, far exceeding its original goal (1 gold, 1 bronze). This is the highest record ever, exceeding the 2018 Pyeongchang competition (Gold 1, Dong 2) held at home.

According to News 1 and Newsis, Yang Oh-yeol, the head of the team, said in a report on the results, "We have achieved meaningful achievements, including five medals by Kim Yoon-ji, a silver medal for wheelchair curling mix-doubles, and Lee Je-hyuk's first medal in snowboarding."

Chairman Chung Jin-wan also said, "Through the most medals ever, we have proved the competitiveness and potential of our Paralympics to the world," adding, "I hope you will not settle for this achievement and challenge yourself with a better appearance in the next competition."

The winner of this competition was Kim Yun-ji (BDH Paras) of Nordic Ski. Kim Yun-ji, who is competing in the Paralympics for the first time in her career, became the first Korean female athlete to win two gold medals, starting with the Winter Paralympic Gold Medal. In particular, he became the first Korean player to sweep five medals (gold 2, silver 3) in both the Olympics and Paralympics.

In addition, Baek Hye-jin and Lee Yong-seok of the wheelchair curling mix-double added a valuable silver medal in 16 years, and Lee Je-hyuk of the snowboard delivered the news of the first medal (bronze medal) in the history of the event.

Kim Yun-ji was honored as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Korean squad. As a result of the injury, he will receive a Toyota car worth 50 million won.

Kim Yun-ji said, "I was grateful to have achieved unimaginable results and be on the podium a lot," adding, "I want to spend time with my family while resting, and I really want to get a driver's license, which was one of the bucket lists." As for the nickname "Smile Angel" given by fans, he was humble, saying, "I don't know about angels, but I think "Smile Boy" is appropriate."

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young, who welcomed the team directly, called the achievement "a monumental event that will remain a path in the history of Korean sports," and added, "All of you who challenge your limits yourself are our true heroes. We will work harder at the government level to improve the sports environment for the disabled and continue to support them so that this achievement is not just a temporary phenomenon," he promised.

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*This content was translated by AI.