ENHYPEN’s Sunghoon gained rare Olympic media attention after participating as a non-athlete torchbearer at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on February 5, 2026, in Milan, Italy. The ENHYPEN member, who trained as a figure skater before becoming a KPop artist, captured massive attention during the torch relay. Several international media outlets covered his appearance, including the official Olympic website Olympics.com. Even though footage and interviews with non-athlete torchbearers are uncommon on that platform, Sunghoon’s spotlight shows rising global interest in his participation.
In its feature article, Olympics.com described the ENHYPEN member as a former skating fan who watched the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and later built a music career beyond the ice. During the interview, Sunghoon said he felt honored to return to an Olympic setting after training for many years as an athlete. He recommended the song “Chaconne” from ENHYPEN’s mini-album Dark Blood as an ice-skating soundtrack for its elegant, dark sound.
“Since I trained for the Olympics for nearly half my life, I came to Milan with great anticipation. It’s a huge honor to be here as a K-pop artist.”
U.S. newspaper The New York Times and Italy’s La Repubblica also reported on his activities in Milan, noting the large crowds that followed the ENHYPEN member. In addition, ELLE highlighted his torch relay fashion and styling. Adding to the sports spirit, ENHYPEN’s track “SHOUT OUT” from Manifesto Day 1 was selected as an official cheering song for Team Korea, tying the boy group to the Winter Olympics in a musical way.
