Ski athlete Kim Yun-ji shared her feelings about achieving the feat of winning five medals at a single competition.
On the 1st, tvN 'You Quiz on the Block' featured ski athlete Kim Yun-ji, who achieved the great feat of winning five medals at a single competition—the first in Korean sports history—and she grants Yu Jae-seok and talked with Yu Jae-seok.
At the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics, Kim Yun-ji, who competed across cross-country and biathlon and won two gold medals and three silver medals, left her name in Korean sports history as the athlete with the most medals at a single competition across the winter, summer and Paralympic Games.
Kim Yun-ji, who competed in six events at this Paralympics, said, "It was the same amount of competition I always did, but I am grateful that so many people said it was amazing to watch." Kim Yun-ji explained the differences between cross-country and Nordic skiing to help viewers understand.
Kim Yun-ji, who said she began exercising through swimming, said, "I started swimming at age 3 for rehabilitation, but I only formally learned from age 8. Later, my mother suggested I enter swimming competitions, so from around second or third grade in elementary school I entered competitions and began participating in sports for people with disabilities." In particular, Kim Yun-ji said, "Swimming was a compass-like milestone for me that said, "There is this path too."" Her mother said, "My daughter enjoyed doing swimming rehabilitation on her own, and after learning strokes and entering competitions, her competitive spirit was tremendous."
Kim Yun-ji continued, "I had the opportunity to attend a camp where I could try various Nordic skiing events. The Seoul team coach asked if I had no fear and recommended Nordic skiing. I didn't know much about biathlon or cross-country, but when I heard they shoot guns and ski, it seemed cool. I learned about Nordic skiing in middle school, fell for its charm, and have continued it since." Her father said, "At the time I opposed it because I thought it was a difficult sport for a middle schooler," and her grandmother said, "There's no ice domestically, so training on asphalt looked extremely hard. Still, when she came back at the end, all you could hear was Yun-ji's laughter," expressing pride.
Kim Yun-ji, who was selected for the national team in Nordic skiing at 17 and in swimming at 18, became the only female medalist domestically in the barren field of Nordic skiing. Kim Yun-ji said, "It's a sport active in northern Europe, but I'm proud to show it's a sport where Korea can also win medals." Regarding the fall a lap before the finish line in the cross-country 10km interval race that followed, she recalled, "On our team I fall a lot, so during the downhill turns other staff were praying. I was confident I could get up."
Before the final cross-country 20km race, the coach discouraged her from competing. Kim Yun-ji said, "It was my first long-distance competition and there was heavy snow and rain, so course conditions were poor. Also my stamina was exhausted, so they said I didn't have to if it would be too much. But because it was my first Paralympics, I wanted to experience many things and entered aiming to finish." She entered the race everyone discouraged her from and met Paralympic legend Oksana Masters, and she went on to win the gold medal, surpassing her. Kim Yun-ji said, "It was an honor to be able to compete with a legendary athlete, and I was happy to achieve a good result."
Although Kim Yun-ji has the nickname "Smiley," her father said, "She usually gets irritated a lot at home. I'm worried because in the past few days of interviews she used up a year's worth of social skills. She should save social skills to use at home, but she used them all outside, so I'm worried," and added, "When I try to take care of something and ask, stage one is 'I got it,' stage two is 'I'll handle it myself.' Because she uses 100% of her social skills outside, she's drawn on what's at home," which drew laughter. Yu Jae-seok agreed, saying, "I also don't talk much when I go home. Aren't we all like that?"
Kim Yun-ji said, "I couldn't run the relay this time, but if I did the relay I could compete in seven events. More athletes have appeared, so I want to compete in the relay too. I want to build mentor-protégé relationships where seniors and juniors develop together through training. I want to be a great senior that others can follow. It requires much interest and challenge, so please contact me."
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