In a recent turn of events at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, South Korean snowboarders have experienced mixed fortunes. Lee Sang-ho, a former silver medalist at the PyeongChang Olympics, faced a disappointing exit in the round of 16. He was narrowly defeated by veteran Andreas Promegger from Austria by just 0.17 seconds, marking another setback in his quest for Olympic success after his early exit in Beijing 2022. Lee's journey was closely watched, especially after his remarkable achievement of being the first South Korean to win a medal in a snowboarding event, raising expectations for his performance this time around.

On the other hand, Kim Sang-kyum has made headlines by unexpectedly reaching the semifinals. In a stunning performance, Kim defeated strong competitor Roland Fischnaller from Italy, which has been seen as a significant upset in the competition. Previously, Kim had participated in three Olympics with varying degrees of success, finishing 17th in Sochi 2014, 15th in PyeongChang 2018, and 24th in Beijing 2022. His advancement to the semifinals is a remarkable achievement and brings renewed excitement to his Olympic journey, as he aims for a potential medal this time.

The semifinals for Kim will take place at 10:19 PM KST, where expectations will be high following his impressive performance against seasoned rivals. As the Olympics continue, all eyes will be on Kim as he seeks to capitalize on this opportunity and potentially secure a podium finish for South Korea in snowboarding.