Rim Jong-un celebrates after winning the bronze medal in the men's 1,000-meter short track speed skating event at the Winter Olympics at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Feb. 12. Yonhap
MILAN — Days before the start of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, teen short track speed skater Rim Jong-un was named as one of the rising stars to watch by the event's organizing committee.
It didn't take long for the 18-year-old to live up to that hype, as Rim claimed the bronze medal in the men's 1,000 meters at Milano Ice Skating Arena on Thursday.
The 1,000m final was Rim's first medal race in his first Winter Games. He and the rest of South Korea were knocked out in the semifinals of the mixed team relay Tuesday.
Rim turned heads by successfully using different sets of strategies in different phases of the 1,000m. In the heats and the quarterfinals, Rim chose to move out in front early in the nine-lap race and had enough strength and pace to stay there. In the final, Rim started in the back of the pack and remained in last place among the five finalists with a couple of laps left. Then he made his late charge on the outside, and as some chaos ensued in front of him, Rim stuck out his skate blade just enough for the bronze medal.
Rim was inspired to pick up short track after watching the 2018 Winter Games that took place across the eastern South Korean province of Gangwon. He made a name for himself by winning two world junior titles in February 2025, and then just two months later, Rim won the notoriously competitive senior national team trials. He held off more accomplished veterans, including 2022 Olympic 1,500-meter champion Hwang Dae-heon.
Rim then made an early impression on the senior circuit later in 2025, winning the opening 1,500m race in the 2025-26 International Skating Union Short Track World Tour season in Montreal.
Rim Jong-un celebrates after winning the bronze medal in the men's 1,000-meter short track speed skating event at the Winter Olympics at Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Feb. 12. Yonhap
Later in the World Tour campaign, Rim added a gold and a silver apiece in the 1,000m while also helping South Korea win two gold medals in the 5,000m relay.
It hasn't always been smooth sailing for Rim, though. He was no different than many other short trackers in that he had to overcome injuries. While he was in fifth grade, he took a blade to his right thigh. Three years later, Rim suffered a fractured right tibia that kept him sidelined for about a year.
Source: Korea Times News
