PARIS, France (Aug 9, 2024) - At eight years old, Yujin Kim’s grandmother led her out of her home in Incheon, Korea, and into the Taekwondo gym across the road. Advising the young Kim to learn self defense, her grandmother told her, “You should start Taekwondo.” Sound advice – and a fateful day.

 

Sixteen years later, the little girl who took up Taekwondo to protect herself strode onto the field of play in Paris’ Grand Palais to do battle for an Olympic gold medal. 

 

Kim was at a peak.

 

“In the morning, when I got up, I felt good, very good - physical good, mental good,” Kim said. “In all my life, my condition was the best ever.”

 

Her opponent: Current World Champion, Nahid Kiyanichandeh of Iran.

 

The game started with both athletes stalked each other in a war of nerves. Scrappy contact near the end of the round saw gam-jeoms and a failed IVR by Kiyanichandeh. Kim took Round 1, 5-1. In Round 2, Kim’s target radar was locked on. A head kick put her up, pressuring the cagey Iranian to fight forward. Kim two more scores and facing 8-0 defeat, the Iranian attacked – then suddenly stopped and shook hands just before the final buzzer.

 

The odd end to the match caught Kim off-guard. “I thought, ‘Is this real?” she said. “It gave me the willies!”

 

Then reality sank in: She was Olympic Champion. “It was unbelievable!” she said. “This was my dream!”

 

Turning dream into reality has taken Kim down a long path.

 

Her first medal – and recognition that she had talent - came at a youth provincial championships when she was 12.

 

As she grew, Kim developed a peak Taekwondo physique. “I am really tall so my opponents are afraid to attack - it’s a big advantage,” she said. “Because I am long and thin, my nickname is ‘The Stick.’”

 

The preferred weapon of ‘The Stick’ is – naturally - the axe. “My favorite technique is the front leg axe kick,” she said. “That gets three points.”

 

Soon, she was fighting on the international circuit.  She won Youth World Championship gold in 2016, two Universiade golds, and the 2024 Asian Games bronze. Even so: At the elite end of the game, she has not made waves at the Senior Worlds, or the Grand Prix.

 

Prior to Paris, few would have put her in Korea’s top-tier. “I kept trying to be on the national team,” she recalled. “I just kept trying.”

Olympic gold will lift her profile through the roof. She is particularly pleased to have medaled in 2024, given Korea’s results in Tokyo 2020, where the team won no golds.

 

In training, the shadow of 2020 hung over the team. “It would be a lie to say there was no burden,” she admitted. 

 

In Paris, that burden lifted. Team-mate Taejoon Park struck gold on Day 1. Kim followed up on Day 2. “Two golds - it was unbelievable!”  she said. “It was a huge honor to be a gold medalist on Team Korea.”

 

Back home, it will be back to the mats. Kim needs to start prep for next year’s Worlds in Wuxi, China, and will then be aiming to defend her title at LA 2028.

 

But that is looking into tomorrow. Today, with precious Olympic metal hanging around her neck Kim has to contact someone back home.

 

“I’d better call Grandma!” she said.