Yujin Kim: From grandmother's advice to Olympic title. GETTY IMAGES

Korean athlete Yujin Kim, who took up taekwondo on the advice of her grandmother, was one of the surprises of the Paris 2024 taekwondo tournament, winning gold in the -57 kg category.

Kim qualified for the Paris 2024 through the Asian Qualifiers, and she defeated the reigning world champion Nahid Kiyanichandeh of Iran in the final fight. 

Her opponent: Current World Champion, Nahid Kiyanichandeh of Iran.

"I thought, 'Is this real? It gave me the willies! It was unbelievable! This was my dream!" she said after her final fight.

Yujin Kim won a second gold medal for Korea in Taekwondo at the Paris 2024. GETTY IMAGES
Yujin Kim won a second gold medal for Korea in Taekwondo at the Paris 2024. GETTY IMAGES

Kim was in top physical condition on the day of the fights. "In the morning, when I got up, I felt good, very good - physical good, mental good," she said. "In all my life, my condition was the best ever," she commented to World Taekwondo.

Her teammate Taejoon Park won gold on Day 1 of the competition. Kim followed up on Day 2. "Two golds - it was unbelievable!"  she said. "It was a huge honour to be a gold medalist on Team Korea."

Now Kim, nicknamed 'The Stick' because of her height, who had previously won the Youth World Championships in 2016 and the Asian bronze medal in 2024, will prepare for the 2025 Taekwondo World Championships and for the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles.