Kim Yoon-ji Claims South Korea’s First Winter Paralympic Gold

A Historic Achievement in Winter Paralympics

Kim Yoon-ji, a 20-year-old athlete from BDH Pararas, has made history as the first female South Korean athlete to win a gold medal at the Winter Paralympics. Her achievement marks a significant milestone in the nation’s participation in the Winter Paralympic Games. During the biathlon women’s individual 12.5 km sitting event held at the cross-country ski stadium in Tesero, a mountainous area in northern Italy, Kim secured her place in history by finishing first among 12 competitors with a time of 38 minutes and 0.001 seconds.

This victory is not only the first gold medal for a female athlete but also the first gold medal won by a South Korean athlete at a Winter Paralympics held outside the country. Kim expressed her surprise at her success, saying, “I didn’t really think I could do it,” while adding with a bright smile, “It’s an honor to have such a meaningful record as the first female gold medalist.”

A New Chapter in South Korean Para Sports

This achievement also marks the first time a South Korean female athlete has won a medal in an individual event at the Winter Paralympics. Previously, Kang Mi-sook won a silver medal as part of the wheelchair curling fours team at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Paralympics. For South Korean athletes, this is the second gold medal in Winter Paralympic history, following Shin Ui-hyun’s gold in cross-country sitting at the 2018 PyeongChang Games.

South Korea first participated in the Winter Paralympics in 1992, winning its first medal (silver) in 2002. The nation achieved its best result at the 2018 PyeongChang Games, with one gold and two bronzes, but failed to win any medals at the 2022 Beijing Games.

Kim Yoon-ji, who has a congenital spinal disability (spina bifida), has been recognized as the MVP (Most Valuable Player) at both the summer and winter National Para Sports Festivals while competing in cross-country skiing and swimming. She began swimming for rehabilitation at the age of three and started her athletic career in the third grade of elementary school. Her introduction to skiing came during a sports camp in her first year of middle school.

Kim has consistently performed well on the international stage, winning the World Championship para cross-country event last year and securing a World Cup victory in January. This year, she added a World Cup gold medal in biathlon to her list of achievements, generating high expectations for her performance at the Milan Cortina Winter Paralympics.

A Balanced Life: Sport and Academics

Kim Yoon-ji has demonstrated excellence both in sports and academics. While studying at the Department of Adapted Physical Education at Korea National University of Sports Science, she ranked first in her department. Her dedication to training is evident, as she mentioned, “While preparing for this Paralympics, I started weight training and focused on building strength.”

Despite facing challenges in her debut event, the biathlon women’s sprint 7.5 km sitting race, where she finished fourth due to shooting difficulties, Kim maintained a positive attitude. Known for her ever-smiling face, her nickname is “Smiley.” She said, “I felt confident because my skiing was good. I think I can perform better in the remaining races.”

In the race on the 8th, Kim missed only two out of 20 shots and sprinted to the lead. She stated, “I think you can’t beat someone who enjoys what they’re doing, so I enjoyed yesterday’s race and today’s race as well.” Kim noted that she feels more confident in cross-country skiing than in biathlon and plans to adjust her condition for better results in future events.

Kim has four more medal opportunities at this event, as she is challenging for a five-event championship across four biathlon and cross-country events.

Other Notable Achievements

Following Kim Yoon-ji, Anja Wicker (Germany) won the silver medal, and Kendall Gretsch (USA) took the bronze. The “legend” Oksana Masters (USA), who won her 20th career medal (gold) in the biathlon women’s sprint 7.5 km sitting event the day before, finished fourth on this day.

On the same day, at the Para Snowboard Park in Cortina, Lee Je-hyuk (29, CJ Logistics) won a bronze medal in the snowboard men’s cross (SB-LL2, mild lower limb impairment). He was the third to cross the finish line among four athletes who started simultaneously in the final. This is South Korea’s first medal in snowboarding at the Winter Paralympics. Snowboarding was first adopted as an official event at the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympics.

Lee Je-hyuk, who was eliminated early in his first Paralympic appearance at the 2022 Beijing Games, said, “No one expected a snowboarding medal, but I was so disappointed.” He then promised, “I will definitely stand on the podium at the 2026 Paralympics,” and he kept his four-year-old promise. It is said that he trained to increase his weight by more than 10 kg while maintaining his quickness.