Kim Ye-ji (sport shooter)

Kim was born in Danyang, South Korea.{{Cite web|url=https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/athlete/yeji-kim_1893930|title=Kim Yeji|work=2024 Summer Olympics|access-date=28 July 2024}} She graduated from {{Ill|Danyang Middle School|ko|단양중학교}}, {{Ill|Chungbuk Physical Education High School|ko|충북체육고등학교}},{{Cite web |date=2024-08-01 |title='단양의 딸 김예지' 월드스타 되다 |url=http://www.jdnews.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=9033 |access-date=2024-08-04 |website=제천단양뉴스 |language=ko}} and {{Ill|Kyongbuk Science College|ko|경북과학대학교}}.{{Cite web |last=박 |first=태정 |date=2024-08-01 |title=공기권총 메달리스트 오예진·김예지, 경북과학대 선후배 화제 |url=https://www.kyongbuk.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=4015957 |access-date=2024-08-04 |website={{ill|Kyongbuk Ilbo|ko|경북일보}} |language=ko}} She started shooting in sixth grade after her gym teacher, who was also the shooting team's coach, asked her class if anybody wanted to shoot a gun, and after she observed older students practising and thought them cool. Her parents initially refused to allow her to join the team, prompting her to refuse to eat for three days until they relented.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-07 |title=This South Korean sharpshooter won a silver medal. Then Elon Musk helped her go viral |url=https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-08-07/this-south-korean-sharpshooter-won-a-silver-medal-then-elon-musk-helped-her-go-viral |access-date=2024-08-10 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}

In 2010, Kim appeared at her first ISSF World Shooting Championships in Munich where she took the bronze in the junior category of the women's 10 meter air pistol.{{Cite web |title=ISSF Athlete Database - Yeji Kim |url=https://www.issf-sports.org/athletes/SHKORW0409199201 |website=issf-sports.org|access-date=1 August 2024}} In 2024, she contested that year's Asian Shooting Championships, where she won a silver medal in the 25 meter pistol women.{{Cite web |date=11 January 2024 |title=Final SPW at the 2024 Asian Championships In Jakarta |url=https://backoffice.issf-sports.org/media/resultspdf/2024/3169/F000000IA1101241115.1.SPW.0.001.pdf |archive-date= |website=issf-sports.org}} She then contested the 2024 ISSF World Cup, where she won a bronze in Munich in the 25 meter pistol women.{{Cite web |date=4 June 2024 |title=Final SPW at the 2024 World Cup In Munich |url=https://backoffice.issf-sports.org/media/resultspdf/2024/3201/F000000IA0406241000.1.SPW.0.001.pdf |website=issf-sports.org}} In Baku, Kim won a silver in the 10 meter air pistol,{{Cite web |date=4 May 2024 |title=Final APW at the 2024 World Cup In Baku |url=https://backoffice.issf-sports.org/media/resultspdf/2024/3203/F000000IA0405241145.1.APW.0.001.pdf |website=issf-sports.org}} before setting a world record in the women's 25 meter pistol event en route to taking gold, with a score of 42.{{Cite web |url= https://www.issf-sports.org/news/4292|title=Korea's Kim beats team-mate Yang's 25m pistol women world record at Baku World Cup |publisher=International Shooting Sport Federation |date=10 May 2024 |access-date=31 July 2024}}

She contested the 2024 Summer Olympics later that year, where she finished with silver at that games' women's 10 meter air pistol behind her Korean compatriot Oh Ye-jin.{{Cite web |title=10m Air Pistol Women's Final Results |url=https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/results/shooting/10m-air-pistol-women/fnl-000100-- |access-date=28 July 2024 |work=2024 Summer Olympics}} She performed in a short ponytail and while clutching a small stuffed elephant. During the 2024 Summer Olympics, Kim went viral on social media for her charisma, with many social media commentators comparing her to the fictional characters James Bond and Satoru Gojo from the manga Jujutsu Kaisen. Early press suggested that her elephant was a gift from her daughter; in a subsequent interview with Los Angeles Times, she stated that the elephant was "actually a hand towel" given to her by her coach, on the grounds that competitors' "hands get greasy from loading cartridges" into their pistols.

Following her virality, a clip of her performance from the 2024 ISSF World Cup, in which she sported a backward cap, sharp bob,{{Cite web |last=Yeung |first=Jessie |date=31 July 2024 |title=The internet is in love with South Korea's record-breaking Olympic shooter |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/31/style/kim-yeji-pistol-shooter-paris-olympics-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=2 August 2024 |website=CNN |language=en}} Terminator-style glasses,{{Cite news |last=Corlett |first=Eva |date=31 July 2024 |title=South Korea's 'coolest' markswoman Kim Yeji shoots to fame after Paris Olympics |url= https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/jul/31/paris-olympics-2024-kim-yeji-pistol-shooting-event-south-korea |access-date=31 July 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} and an icy glare and told a reporter that she had "nothing to improve," also went viral.{{Cite news |last=Yam |first=Kimmy |date=1 August 2024 |title=South Korean sharpshooter Kim Ye-ji has become the unlikely breakout star of the Olympics |url= https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/kim-yeji-south-korea-sharpshooter-olympics-social-media-rcna164504 |access-date=31 July 2024 |work=NBC News |language=en}} For this, some dubbed her the "coolest person on the planet,"{{Cite news |last=Lo |first=Hoi-ying |date=31 July 2024 |title=South Korean Olympic shooter Kim Ye-ji crowned the 'coolest person on the planet' |url= https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/buzz/article/3272644/paris-olympics-south-korean-shooter-kim-ye-ji-crowned-coolest-person-planet |access-date=31 July 2024 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en}} others complimented her "main character energy," and GQ described her as the games' first breakout star.{{Cite web |last=Cartter |first=Eileen |date=30 July 2024 |title=South Korean Sharpshooter Kim Yeji Is the 2024 Olympics' First Breakout Style Star |url=https://www.gq.com/story/olympics-2024-kim-yeji-south-korean-shooter-style-icon |access-date=1 August 2024 |website=GQ |language=en-US}} She later stated that her cap was to keep her hair out of her face and that she wore it forwards when light was in her eyes. On 30 August, W Korea and Louis Vuitton published a series of photographs and videos with Kim as the model.{{Cite web |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/C_SPT7ovZJN/?img_index=1 |access-date=2024-08-30 |website=www.instagram.com}} In September, she was cast in the role of an assassin in TV series Crush.{{cite news |author1=Javier Carro |title=Viral Olympic shooter Kim Ye-Ji debuts as an assassin in TV series |url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1148805/olympic-shooter-kim-ye-ji-debuts-a |access-date=10 December 2024 |work=Inside the Games |publisher=ITG Media DMCC |date=21 September 2024 |language=en}} In October, she became the Tesla Korea brand ambassador.{{cite web |last1=Agarwal |first1=Cheenu |title=Olympic shooter Kim Ye-ji becomes Tesla Korea's first brand ambassador |url=https://www.afaqs.com/news/advertising/olympic-shooter-kim-ye-ji-becomes-tesla-koreas-first-brand-ambassador-7383666 |website=www.afaqs.com |access-date=5 November 2024 |language=en}} In November, she announced a break from competitive shooting to spend more time with her family.{{cite news |author1=Ahn Sung-mi |title=Olympic shooter Kim Ye-ji announces break amid hate comments |url=https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20241108050548 |access-date=10 December 2024 |work=The Korea Herald |date=8 November 2024 |language=en}}

• Yusuf Dikeç, Turkish sport shooter
• Oh Ye-jin, Korean air pistol shooter
• {{ill|Choe Dae-han|ko|최대한 (2004년)}}, Korean air rifle shooter

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• {{YouTube|id=-F3RKk9srG4|title=Kim breaking the world record}} published by Guardian Sport

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Yeji}}

Category:1992 births

Category:Internet memes introduced in 2024

Category:Living people

Category:Medalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics

Category:Olympic shooters for South Korea

Category:Olympic silver medalists for South Korea

Category:Shooters at the 2024 Summer Olympics

Category:South Korean female sport shooters

Category:21st-century South Korean sportswomen