In her Olympic debut, 22-year-old Kim Gilli from the Seongnam City Hall short track team clinched a bronze medal in the women's 1000m final at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, finishing with a time of 1:28.614. The gold medal was won by Netherlands' Xandra Velzeboer in 1:28.437, while Canada's Courtney Sarault took silver in 1:28.523. Starting from the back due to a strategy to capitalize on potential falls during the race, Kim launched a final surge with three laps remaining, moving up to third place but ultimately could not recover her position after a fierce contest with Velzeboer.

In the semifinals, Kim faced an unexpected challenge when she collided with Belgium's Hanne Desmet and fell mid-race. Fortunately for Kim, a video review determined Desmet's fault, allowing Kim to advance to the finals. This bronze medal adds to the South Korean team's medal tally at the event, bringing their total to six (one gold, two silver, and three bronze).

Kim's teammate Choi Minjeong, however, had a disappointing semifinal, finishing fourth and securing an overall eighth place after finishing third in the subsequent ranking match. No Do-hee, another team member, also faced elimination in the quarterfinals, highlighting the competitive nature of this Olympic event and emphasizing Kim's achievement amid a challenging environment for her teammates.