Two decades later, Jin Sun-yu looks back at her Olympic gold journey in Italy
Published: 26 Jan. 2026, 14:18
Updated: 26 Jan. 2026, 19:54
![Jin Sun-yu, a three-time gold medalist in short track speed skating from the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics, shows her medals at the Taereung International Skating Rink in Nowon District, northern Seoul, on Jan. 21. [KIM JONG-HO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/01/26/9b67a984-8940-4788-810d-63ca9473617c.jpg)
Jin Sun-yu, a three-time gold medalist in short track speed skating from the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics, shows her medals at the Taereung International Skating Rink in Nowon District, northern Seoul, on Jan. 21. [KIM JONG-HO]
Twenty years ago this winter, Koreans watched in awe as a teenage girl cut across the ice with explosive speed and power, slicing through opponents with a fearless intensity.
As a student, Jin Sun-yu emerged as one of the brightest young stars in world short-track speedskating. At the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics, when she was 17, she became the first Korean woman to sweep three gold medals, winning the 1,500-meter and 1,000-meter events and anchoring the 3,000-meter relay team's victory. That performance helped Korea capture six golds overall and finish seventh in the medal standings.
The 2026 Winter Olympics are set to open in Milan next week, just a two-hour drive from Turin. The JoongAng Ilbo recently met with Jin, now 38, at the Taereung Training Center’s ice rink in northern Seoul to talk about her memories of that icy Italian winter.
“Turin looked exactly as I remembered — the arenas, the waiting rooms — but the ice felt smaller,” she said with a laugh. “Still, my heart was pounding. I thought, ‘I did something huge here as a high school student.’ That made me choke up.”
Her Olympic glory made Jin an instant national star. Flashbulbs greeted her everywhere upon her return to Korea. But the triumph was swiftly clouded by turmoil.
At the time, Korean skating was mired in factionalism, split between athletes from Korea National Sport University and those from outside the system. Training groups and coaching staffs were divided, and skaters wearing the same Taegeuk mark looked at each other with suspicion.
“Because of the factional problems, we didn’t get congratulations. Instead, we got criticized, like we had done something wrong,” she recalled. “I had to keep my head down like a criminal.”
That winter in Turin became bittersweet. The emotional cost of navigating adult conflicts was more than a teenage world champion could bear.
Injuries and ongoing turmoil hastened her retirement. “All the ligaments around my right ankle were torn. I wanted to go out on a high note, but I hung up my blades in 2011,” she said.
After retirement, Jin returned to her alma mater, Dankook University, and began a career as a coach. Over 15 years she has guided talents including two-time Asian Winter Games champion Park Ji-won and skaters Kim Tae-sung and Kim Geon-hee. She also started a family in May last year.
![Jin Sun-yu celebrates after crossing the finish line first to win the gold medal in the women’s 1,500 meters short track speed skating event at the Turin Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, on Feb. 19, 2006. [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/01/26/f22ee285-d206-49e5-b6e2-3aecc433d75c.jpg)
Jin Sun-yu celebrates after crossing the finish line first to win the gold medal in the women’s 1,500 meters short track speed skating event at the Turin Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, on Feb. 19, 2006. [JOONGANG ILBO]
Although Korea has remained a short-track powerhouse since her departure, expectations are unusually low entering this Olympics amid strong showings from Canada, the United States and the Netherlands. Critics have labeled this Korea’s “weakest team ever.” Veterans like Choi Min-jeong and newcomers Kim Gil-li and Rim Jong-un are battling hard but face a steep talent gap.
Jin offered a candid assessment.
“Honestly, they’re not favorites. Foreign skaters are so strong in speed and endurance. They don’t tire even in long races like before,” she said. “But Korea’s technique is still world-class. This will come down to strategy. If they skate smart and stay in range early, they have a shot.”
Toward the end of our conversation, she turned her attention to the current team.
“In Turin, I got knocked out in the first race, the 500 meters, and I heard that all the reporters who had been camped outside my house packed up and left,” she said. “But then I swept the rest of the events and took three golds. That’s the Olympics — you don’t know until it’s over.”
“It’s a tough time, but I trust that Min-jeong’s experience will keep the group steady. I hope the skaters believe in themselves and race without regrets,” she added.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KO BONG-JUN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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