Kim Gilli is a South Korean short track speed skater who earned Olympic gold at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan-Cortina, establishing herself as one of the leading athletes in her sport at a young age.
She won her gold medal in the 1,500 meters event on February 21, 2026. This was a special moment because she beat her own teammate and friend, Choi Minjeong, who had won gold in this event twice before at the 2018 and 2022 Olympics.
Kim Gilli also won two more medals at these Olympics. She helped South Korea win gold in the 3,000-meter relay and won another medal in a different event. Her results confirmed her transition from promising prospect to established contender at the highest level.
Early Life and Family
Kim Gilli was born on July 1, 2004, in South Korea. She grew up in a family that loved sports, and her parents always supported her athletic dreams.
Her parents are huge fans of the KIA Tigers, which is a professional baseball team in South Korea. They passed this love of sports down to their daughter, and Kim Gilli also became a KIA Tigers fan.
During her childhood, she balanced academics with sports activities before committing fully to competitive skating. She did not start out wanting to be a speed skater. In fact, her first dream was to become a figure skater.
How She Discovered Speed Skating
When Kim Gilli was young, she wanted to be like Kim Yuna, the famous South Korean figure skater who won Olympic gold in 2010. Kim Yuna was a hero to many young girls in South Korea at that time.
But somewhere along the way, Kim Gilli discovered short track speed skating and fell in love with it. This sport is very fast and exciting, with skaters racing around a small oval track at high speeds.
She joined a speed skating program and quickly showed natural talent. Her coaches noticed that she had excellent stamina and could manage races very smartly, even at a young age.
Education and Training
Kim Gilli graduated from Seohyeon High School while also training as a competitive speed skater. Balancing school and sports was not easy, but she managed to do both.
After high school, she enrolled at Korea University in the International Sports Studies program. This allowed her to continue her education while also focusing on her athletic career.
Like many young athletes in South Korea, she lives and trains at a national training center in Jincheon. This is where the country’s top winter sports athletes prepare for major competitions.
Her coaches and teammates at the training center gave her a nickname: “Jincheon Dance King.” This nickname came from her fun personality and love of dancing during training breaks.
Early Career and Junior Success
Kim Gilli began competing internationally at the junior level in 2020. Her first big competition was the World Junior Championships, where she immediately showed she was special by winning a gold medal in the 1,000 meters.
She continued winning at the junior level for the next few years. At the 2022 and 2023 World Junior Championships, she won four more gold medals and one silver medal across different events.
These early victories showed that she had the potential to become a great senior-level skater. But making the jump from junior to senior competition is always difficult because the older athletes have more experience.
Moving Up to Senior Competition
In 2023, Kim Gilli made the move to senior-level competition. This was a big step up, and she would now be competing against the best skaters in the world, including Olympic champions.
Her first senior season in 2022-23 was impressive. She finished fourth in the overall World Cup rankings, which was remarkable for someone so young and new to senior competition.
But the 2023-24 season was when she truly arrived as a star. She won the overall World Cup championship and became the first Korean female short track athlete ever to win the Crystal Globe for being the best overall skater on the World Tour.
According to her official profile, she also won her first World Championship gold medal in 2024 in Rotterdam, Netherlands, winning the 1,500-meter event.
Read Also: Federica Brignone Biography: Career, Family and Journey in Alpine Skiing
The 2026 Olympic Games
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina, Italy, were the biggest moment of Kim Gilli’s young career. She came into these Games as one of the favorites after her successful 2023-24 season.
Her first Olympic medal came in the 3,000-meter relay on February 18, 2026. She skated alongside her teammates Choi Minjeong, Shim Sukhee, and Noh Ahrum to win gold for South Korea.
According to reports from olympics.com, the Korean team made their move with two laps to go and held on to win against Italy and Canada.
Then came her biggest moment on February 21, 2026, in the 1,500-meter final. She was racing against her teammate and idol, Choi Minjeong, who had won this event at the previous two Olympics.
With two laps to go, Choi made her move to take the lead, and the crowd stood up expecting another gold for the defending champion. But Kim Gilli stayed right with her and then passed her teammate on the final lap to win Olympic gold.
As reported by Olympics, Kim Gilli scored 93.75 points on her run while Choi Minjeong took silver with 93.00 points. American skater Corinne Stoddard won bronze, giving the United States its first short track medal since 2018.
View this post on Instagram
Skating Style and Strengths
Kim Gilli is not the type of skater who relies on pure physical power. Her biggest strength is her excellent stamina and ability to manage races smartly.
She is known for saving energy in the early part of races and then making strong moves in the second half when other skaters are getting tired. This smart racing strategy has helped her win many competitions.
Her coaches say she has excellent game management ability. This means she knows when to pass, when to wait, and when to make her final move. These skills usually take many years to develop, but she learned them quickly.
She is also very good at taking advantage of opportunities when other skaters make mistakes or leave gaps. Her quick thinking helps her win races even when she is not the fastest skater in the field.
Read Also: Who Is Abby Winterberger? Age, Parents, Skiing Career and 2026 Olympics
Personal Life and Interests
Outside of skating, Kim Gilli has many interests that show she is a normal young person. She loves watching baseball and is a devoted fan of the KIA Tigers, following in her parents’ footsteps.
She became interested in Korean pop music and is a fan of the K-pop group RIIZE, especially a member named Anton. She also likes another K-pop group called (G)I-DLE.
She got her driver’s license in January 2024, which is a big milestone for any young adult. Her teammates joke that she is a good driver and has a fun personality.
Her hero outside of sports is Kim Yeon-kyung, a famous South Korean volleyball player. Kim Gilli admires strong female athletes who have succeeded at the international level.
One interesting fact about Kim Gilli is that she almost quit skating when she was in her first year of high school in 2020. She was dealing with injuries and having a difficult time, and she told her mother she wanted to quit.
But her break from skating only lasted two weeks. She said that even though she enjoyed the time off, life felt empty without skating. So she put her skates back on and returned to the ice, which was obviously the right decision.
Net Worth and Sponsorships
As a young Olympic athlete from South Korea, Kim Gilli’s exact net worth is not publicly known. However, Olympic gold medalists in South Korea receive financial rewards and sponsorship opportunities.
The Korean Olympic Committee and Korean government provide prize money to Olympic medalists. Gold medalists typically receive significant bonuses, though exact amounts are not always publicized.
She also likely has endorsement deals with sports equipment companies and Korean brands, though specific details about her sponsorships have not been widely reported. As her career continues and her fame grows, these opportunities will probably increase.
Many successful Korean winter sports athletes earn income from prize money at World Cup events, appearance fees, and endorsements. Now that she has won Olympic gold, Olympic success typically increases visibility and commercial opportunities for athletes at her level.
Read Also: Alex Ferreira Biography: Olympic Medals, Family Background and Freestyle Skiing Career
About The Author
