ENHYPEN's Sunghoon Is The Winter Olympics 2026 Torchbearer Along With 'Heated Rivalry' Stars

It looks like one of Sunghoon's childhood dreams is now turning into reality.

The ENHYPEN member has been officially announced as a torchbearer for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, set to take place in Italy from February 6 to 22, 2026. The torchbearing ceremony will be held at Milan's San Siro Stadium on opening day, marking the start of one of the world's biggest sporting events.

While the Olympic torch relay traditionally honors athletes and public figures who embody the spirit of the Games, Sunghoon's inclusion is what's hitting fans right in the heart.

Long before he was performing in sold-out arenas, Sunghoon spent most of his life on the ice. From 2010 until early 2020, he was deeply involved in competitive figure skating and was even a reserve member of South Korea's national figure skating team. The Olympics, back then, were the ultimate dream.

"I had dreamed of being part of the Olympics when I was skating," Sunghoon shared in a statement released by his agency, BELIFT LAB, last January 23. "It feels like I've now achieved that dream as a singer, so I'm delighted and honored."

Sunghoon was recommended as a torchbearer by Samsung Electronics, one of the official sponsors of the Winter Games, and his selection also reflects his continued presence in the sports world. Since last year, he has served as an ambassador for the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, bridging his past as an athlete with his present as a global performer.

He also made sure to highlight the athletes who will be competing at the Games. "Because I'm well aware of the passion and hard work of the national athletes who have poured their sweat into preparing for this Winter Olympics, I am rooting for them wholeheartedly," he said.

Notably, Sunghoon is set to make history as the first K-pop star to serve as a torchbearer at the Winter Olympics, and the second K-pop singer overall—following BTS' Jin, who carried the torch during the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics as his first official activity after military service.

Adding to the excitement, the torch relay will also feature Heated Rivalry stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, who were announced as official torchbearers on January 22 in a statement released by HBO Max. The duo—whose portrayals of ice hockey rivals Shane Hollander and Ilya Rosanov helped turn the series into a viral pop culture phenomenon—were selected as part of the Olympics' effort to spotlight figures who have helped bring winter sports into mainstream conversation.

Fans are already buzzing at the possibility of the three crossing paths during the relay. Social media quickly filled with reactions celebrating the unexpected crossover, with jokes about "worlds colliding" and hopeful anticipation for a potential encounter. (We are SO ready.)

Beyond all the frenzy, this moment reads as a full-circle win for Sunghoon—one that longtime fans know could tell was always meant to happen.