Rim Jong-un Skater Rise
On the frosty morning streets of Pyongyang, who could have imagined a teen gliding toward global stardom on a pair of borrowed blades? Rim Jong-un, a name now whispered with reverence in skating circles, is rewriting historyand defying gravityin more ways than one. As the Milan 2026 Winter Olympics approaches, the 16-year-old from the Northern capital has carved a journey as daring and dynamic as the triple axels she now lands with ice-melting flair.
The Boy, the Blade, and the Breakthrough
It wasn’t a fancy rink or privileged training program that shaped Rimit was raw hustle. Raised in a modest household where Olympic dreams seemed distant, Rim found fascination watching figure skating clips in internet cafesoften pixelated, occasionally pirated, but always awe-inspiring. Without access to proper facilities, the ever-resourceful teen practiced pirouettes in hallways, jumps on frozen sidewalks, and footwork in secret alleyways.
“My first skates were hand-me-downs two sizes too big,” Rim once revealed with a sheepish grin at a press event. “I stuffed them with socks and hope.”
His tenacity was eventually spotted by a retired coach, who offered mentorship in exchange for help around his training rink. That unlikely mentorship became the first domino that would send Rim careening toward a groundbreaking milestone: becoming the first North Korean figure skater to qualify for the senior Olympics in over two decades.
A Revolution on Ice
In a sport traditionally dominated by athletes from Russia, Japan, and North America, Rim’s rise stunned even seasoned analysts. At 2024’s Four Continents Championships in Shanghai, he unleashed a performance teeming with athletic audacity: a quad toe-loop, graceful transitions, and a charisma that radiated even over the TV broadcast delay.
“He skated like he heard destiny calling,”
It wasn’t just talent that won the judges overit was that ineffable blend of artistry and authenticity. Rim’s programs, often infused with traditional Korean music and motifs, felt fresh and fearless. He didn’t skate to impress; he skated to express.
Training Behind Closed Curtains
In a nation better known for political theater than pirouettes, Rim’s ascent was not just athleticit was symbolic. Training took place under intense scrutiny and sporadic international support. His first pair of custom skates had to be smuggled in through a Chinese friend of a family friendclearance through customs came with a wink and a whispered promise.
Yet, despite the isolation, Rim’s routines were often shared by fans through VPNs and burner phones, with online forums nickname-tagging him “the Ice Poet of Pyongyang.” Unofficial fan edits of his 2025 World Junior Championship silver medal routine have racked up millions of discreet views across Asia.
Eyes on Milan
Now, with Milan 2026 on the radar, Rim is in rare air. His training has taken himalbeit under tightly monitored conditionsto South Korea and even briefly to Italy under a special sports diplomacy arrangement. While interviews with foreign media remain limited, those who’ve seen him practice report a skater more mature, more polished, but still brimming with that street-born spirit.
His Olympic program promises a cultural homage wrapped in athletic wizardrya fusion of Arirang-inspired melody with modern choreography mapped by a European coach who reportedly cried after watching Rim skate.
“He doesn’t skate for medals,” the coach said anonymously. “He skates like his very existence depends on it.”
Skating Into History With Grace
As anticipation builds, Rim remains grounded. He thanks his mother after every performance. He still sharpens his skates by hand. And he talks about using skating as a bridgenot just between triple jumps, but between people, ideologies, and possibilities.
The World Is Watching
In a time when Olympic stories often center on controversy and commercialism, Rim Jong-un stands as proof that passion still propels the planet’s best athletes. With the Milan games set to showcase the world’s finest, all eyes will be watching the boy from Pyongyang who believed in the ice before it believed in him.
Rim’s next leap? A podium finish? A personal best? Or maybe something grandera generational spark for skaters in places forgotten by the skating elite. One thing’s for sure: when Rim Jong-un takes the ice in Milan, he brings with him the weight of hope, the soul of a nation, and the force of a dream that just won’t sit still.
Published by: Korea JoongAng Daily | Edited by: [Your Name], Award-Winning Sports Journalist
