“Starting figure skating was the proudest choice I’ve made in my life, and I have never regretted loving this sport. Now, after 15 years as an athlete, I am planning to conclude my skating career.” Yelim Kim announces her retirement
Yelim Kim announces her retirement from competitive sport.
original source: Instagram
Korean single skater Yelim Kim (22) announced her retirement from competitive sport on her Instagram page. Here’s a translation of her post.
“Hello, I am Yelim Kim, a figure skater.
It has been 15 years since I entered the world of figure skating, inspired by watching the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and wanting to skate myself.
There have been many joyful moments from achieving good results at numerous competitions. However, when I look back, not only the outcomes but every moment of training hard on the ice with a desire to perform well has brought me happiness.
Starting figure skating was the proudest choice I’ve made in my life, and I have never regretted loving this sport.
Now, after 15 years as an athlete, I am planning to conclude my skating career, embracing the precious experiences, lessons, and relationships I have gained.
Throughout my career, during moments of uncertainty about the future, my steadfast family supported me, teachers from various fields shared brilliant moments with me while aiming towards a common goal, and sponsors like Nike, KB Financial Group, and J.ESTINA have generously supported my growth, for which I am immensely grateful.
Lastly, I sincerely thank my fans who have supported and cheered for me unswervingly, even in moments when I doubted myself or lost faith, and who have consistently loved my performances from when I was a far-from-perfect athlete.
I am both nervous and excited about what lies ahead and what new opportunities I will encounter. As always, I will strive to be a determined and diligent person, making all of you who have supported and cherished me proud of Yelim Kim.
Thank you for supporting and loving figure skater Yelim Kim until now!”
Yelim Kin is a two-time Four Continents medalist (silver in 2023, bronze in 2022), the 2022 NHK Trophy champion, 2022 Grand Prix de France silver medalist, a three-time ISU Challenger Series gold medalist, the 2023 Winter World University Games bronze medalist, and the 2021 South Korean national champion. She represented her country at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
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