South Korean 18-year-old short track speed skater Rim Jong-un has been named one of 10 'rising stars to watch' ahead of his debut at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. He secured his spot on the national team by winning trials last year, defeating veterans like 2022 Olympic champion Hwang Dae-heon, and has impressed with three junior world titles and senior World Cup victories.
MILAN — South Korean teen short track speed skater Rim Jong-un is generating buzz as one of 10 'rising stars to watch' ahead of his Winter Games debut in northern Italy this month, as selected by the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics website on Tuesday.
The 18-year-old earned his place on the competitive national team by winning trials last year, outpacing veterans including 2022 Olympic 1,500-meter champion Hwang Dae-heon. Rim claimed his third world junior title in 2025 and quickly impressed on the senior circuit by winning the opening 1,500m race of the 2025-26 International Skating Union Short Track World Tour in Montreal. He later added a gold and a silver in the 1,000m, while contributing to South Korea's two gold medals in the 5,000m relay.
As the youngest member of the national short track team, Rim aims to build on South Korea's record of 26 gold medals and 53 total medals in the discipline. After a training session at Milano Ice Skating Arena, he told Yonhap News Agency, 'I had no idea. This is the first time I've heard about it,' beaming at the news. 'It's pretty cool that I made the top-10 list. It's an honor and I am grateful for that.'
Rim shares the list with athletes like U.S. halfpipe snowboarder Alessandro Barbieri, Canadian skeleton slider Hallie Clarke, Australian freestyle skier Indra Brown, and Slovenian ski jumper Nika Prevc. Exploring the athletes' village as a first-time Olympian, he said with a smile, 'It's amazing to be able to share the village with so many athletes from other countries.' When asked about his ease, Rim replied, 'Well, I think I am just forging ahead with the mindset that I have nothing to lose.'
His Olympic debut features heats for the men's 1,000m next Tuesday, followed by the potential medal event in the mixed 2,000m relay the same day. 'I think everyone here is in much better form than they've been in Korea, and we also have better chemistry now,' Rim said. 'I think we can expect some good things from the mixed relay here.'
Adjusting to the Olympics' 11-day schedule—unlike the World Tour's weekend format—Rim plans a gradual buildup: 'We still have about a week left until the start, and so I don't have to try to peak right away. I will start ramping up slowly next week.' He intends to maintain his pre-race ritual of eating chocolate. 'I've received so many packs of chocolate from fans, and I've been eating them all this time,' the teenager added.
