Korean bobsleigh team wins World Cup bronze on Olympic track in Italy

From left, Kim Jin-su, Kim Sun-wook, Kim Hyeong-geun and Lee Geon-u of Korea pose fter winning bronze in the four-man bobsleigh event at the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation World Cup in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday. Courtesy of Korea Bobsleigh Skeleton Federation

A Korean four-man bobsleigh team has reached the World Cup podium on the same Italian track that will host the 2026 Winter Olympics, bolstering the country's medal hopes at the upcoming competition.

The quartet of pilot Kim Jin-su, pushmen Kim Sun-wook and Kim Hyeong-geun, and brakeman Lee Geon-u captured bronze in the first International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF) World Cup of the season in Cortina d'Ampezzo on Sunday (local time). The Korean team finished the race in 1:50.34, with the German team piloted by Johannes Lochner winning the gold in 1:49.73. Another German squad, led by Francesco Friedrich, finished in second place in 1:49.95.

The final rankings were determined after two races on the track. The Korean team clocked 55.14 seconds in its first run and then went 55.20 seconds in the next one.

Markus Treichl's Austrian team went 55.19 seconds and then 55.16 seconds to finish just 0.01 second behind Korea overall.

This was Korea's first World Cup medal in the four-man event.

"I am really gratified with the third-place finish. It means so much more to me because I competed with such great teammates," Kim Jin-su said in a statement released by the Korea Bobsleigh Skeleton Federation. "The Olympic track here may seem easy but is actually difficult in some corners, and vice versa in some other areas. We will try our best to grab an Olympic medal."

Kim Jin-su and Kim Hyeong-geun had finished in fourth place in the two-man race the previous day in Cortina d'Ampezzo.

The IBSF World Cup will move to Innsbruck, Austria, starting Friday.

Korea has won one Olympic medal in bobsleigh — a silver in the four-man event led by Won Yun-jong at the 2018 PyeongChang Games. It remains the only bobsleigh medal by an Asian country.