Who is the youngest athlete to win a Gold medal at Winter Olympics?
Follow Us
Kim Yun-Mi -Youngest athlete to win a Gold medal at Winter Olympics
Kim Yun-Mi is a South Korean short track speed skater, who wrote her name with glitters into the Olympic record books after winning her first Olympic gold medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. This came when she was just at the age of 13 years and 85 days, making her the youngest-ever gold medalist in the Winter Games. However, the International Skating Union (ISU) later set the minimum age limit to be 15-years-old with new general regulations in June 2021.
Yun-Mi clinched a gold medal in the 3000m relay race event and later, she went on to defend her title at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics as well. She competed in the individual category as well but returned back home without finishing on the podium.
Apart from a successful Olympic stint, the Seoul native skier has been a part of the victorious Korean teams at the World Team Championships (1995-97), earning a silver in 1994 and 1998. Individually, she placed third overall in 1995 in Gjøvik, while winning three distance medals (and four more in the relay). She grabbed many medals at the 1995 Calgary World Junior Championships as well.
Where is Kim Yun-Mi now?
Kim ended her stellar career with an ultimate performance before retirement at the 1999 Asian Winter Games, when she won two gold medals (1500m and 3000m relay). This outing became even more special as it came in front of a home crowd at Gangwon.
She later attempted a comeback for the Salt Lake City Olympics, but failed due to injury. Since 2004, Kim Yun-Mi has lived in Maryland, The United States of America, where she teaches speed skating to young athletes.
Stay Updated!
Sachin Arora
(2527 Articles Published)