U.S. short track speed skater Corinne Stoddard, who collided with South Korea’s Kim Gil Li during the mixed relay at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, issued an apology to her teammates and the Korean team via social media on Wednesday.
Stoddard posted on social media that she wanted to publicly apologize to her teammates for the previous day’s mixed relay race and to sincerely apologize to athletes from other countries affected by her actions.
She added that it was completely unintentional, explaining that while she was aiming for a strong performance, she was not at her physical best, and said she would identify the cause through training and return to top form.
Representing the United States in short track, Stoddard took a fall during the semifinal heat of the mixed 2000m relay at the Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, on Tuesday.
As Stoddard fell, Kim Gil Li, who was directly behind her, couldn’t avoid the collision and also went down. Despite Choi Min Jeong’s quick recovery to continue the race, the team finished third in their heat. This result prevented them from advancing to the finals, where only the top two teams qualify, ultimately costing them a shot at a medal.
In the aftermath of the race, Stoddard’s social media accounts were reportedly flooded with negative comments in both Korean and English. Some users called her the world’s best faller, while others called for her to step away from skating. In response, Stoddard has temporarily disabled comments on her social media platforms.
