Kim Yeji, Paris 2024’s ‘Coolest Olympian’, on making her daughter proud, Elon Musk effect and being the life of party back home

In shots seen around the world during the Paris Olympics, Kim Yeji stands at the Chateauroux shooting range, right arm outstretched with an air pistol, body leaning back with a chilled-out nonchalance. The world instantly takes notice. Of the black jacket and the white baseball cap. But also of the elephant plushie that hangs around her waist with a towel as she shoots. And it definitely can’t get enough of those shooting glasses Kim Yeji sports with a blinder covering her left eye. Before long, she’s proclaimed the ‘Coolest Olympian’ by the internet.

Back home in the Republic of Korea though, Kim Yeji, who won the silver medal at the women’s 10m air pistol event where Manu Bhaker won her first Paris 2024 medal, has another persona among her close circle.

Paris Olympics silver medallist Kim Yeji says among her friends she’s known as the life of the party. (PHOTOS: Korea Sport and Olympic Committee)

“Keeping composure is essential to my profession. If I can’t control myself, how can I control anything else? When I’m aiming with a gun, my focus is solely on the task at hand. Once the shot is fired, everything becomes part of the past and I have to reset and start again. I believe this mindset has contributed to earning the title of being a ‘cool’ athlete. (But) in everyday life, I’m quite different from how I am when I’m shooting. Among my friends, I’m known as the life of the party,” Kim Yeji tells The Indian Express in an email interaction coordinated by Korea Shooting.

“When I act bright and quirky, my friends just accept it as part of who I am. I believe the focus and intensity I bring to training are what earned me the nicknames ‘assassin’ and ‘cool athlete’.”

Yeji Kim sets a new world record in the women's 25m pistol pic.twitter.com/gN97y4lPgW

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At the Paris Olympics, she experiences adulation like she’s never imagined. At the Athletes Village after her event, an Indonesian judge wants to take a photo with her and record them having a conversation so he can send the clip to his family back home. Someone else gifts her a cap. As she walks in the corridors, she’s greeted with “warm messages and cheers”.

The world media, too, can’t get enough of her.

Kim Yeji, the South Korean shooter who became an overnight viral sensation after winning a silver medal in the Paris Olympics. (PHOTOS: Korea Sport and Olympic Committee)

“Looking like something between an expert diamond dealer and a crack sniper for some renegade sci-fi army, the internet’s new favourite Olympian,” an NYT piece describes her. “Her stone-cold and unbothered demeanor was accented by her shooting glasses, seemingly taken right out of a sci-fi movie,” adds a piece in NBC. TIME magazine gushes about her “aura winning the internet”. GQ brands her Paris Olympics’ “first breakout style star”. “She should be cast in an action movie. No acting required,” declares X owner Elon Musk.

“While I still couldn’t believe the reality of winning a medal in Paris, the warm welcome I received in Korea has made it feel real. Many fans requested photos, and it seems that the popularity of shooting has increased, for which I am grateful to Musk. Despite the results not being perfect, the abundance of congratulations and support has made me even more thankful. I believe the increased attention might be thanks to Musk’s influence,” says Kim Yeji.

Kim Yeji, the South Korean shooter who became an overnight viral sensation after winning a silver medal in the Paris Olympics. (PHOTOS: Korea Sport and Olympic Committee)

Before the viral fame, her most famous moment in shooting, according to her, was when she set a world record just months before the Paris Olympics.

“In May 2024, I set a world record in the finals of the 25m pistol event at the Baku Shooting World Cup. That was the most prominent achievement. At that time, since Jiin Yang was the reigning world record holder, many expected her to win the gold medal. However, when an unexpected competitor (like me) set a new world record and clinched the gold, it surprised many people in Korea,” recollects Kim Yeji.

Now back in South Korea, Kim Yeji is awaiting her chance to spend quality time with her little daughter.

“Upon returning home, my first stop was to see my daughter. I hugged her tightly and said, ‘Mommy’s back!’ I believe my return holds even more significance for her than the medal itself. Although I haven’t had the chance yet due to time constraints, I’d love to put the medal on her neck and ask, ‘Isn’t it heavy?’ when the opportunity arises,” Kim Yeji says before adding, “After becoming a mother, I promised myself not to be someone to be ashamed of. I felt a strong sense of responsibility to work hard so that my daughter would be proud of me when she grows up.”
Kim Yeji is also keen to debunk the tale that the elephant plushie that hung around her waist at the Paris Olympics, was her daughter’s.

“The elephant plushie isn’t actually a gift from my daughter; it’s a towel. After shooting, my hands get covered in gunpowder, so my coach gave me this towel to clean them. Its cute appearance possibly caused some confusion. Some might think the name on the plush is my daughter’s, but it’s actually mine,” Kim Yeji says before adding: “I do have a very special plush, though – a brown bear. It’s a meaningful item for me as a working mother, helping me feel connected to my child even when we’re apart.”

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